Imagining the Future of Imaging | Yumi Tang | TEDxCUHK

TL;DR

Tissue clearing is a technique that makes tissues transparent, allowing accurate 3D imaging and improving our understanding of biology and diseases.

Transcript

Transcriber: Ha Nhat Anh Nguyen Reviewer: Walaa Mohammed Hello, everyone. So what if I told you that I can make things disappear just like that? No. Not really. I just learned that for today. Hello everyone. My name is Yumi, and for a few months of my life, I was dedicated to turning bodily tissues transparent. So what do I mean by that? It’s kind ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥺 Tissue clearing allows accurate 3D imaging of tissues, leading to a better understanding of biology and diseases.
• ☠️ Tissue clearing has been used to trace nerves in infants, study blood vessels in embryos, investigate cancer spread and treatment effectiveness, and research bone marrow and neurodegenerative diseases.
• 🗯️ The challenges in tissue clearing include finding the right chemicals and clearing methods, considering cost and toxicity, and improving our understanding of the technique.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is tissue clearing and why is it important?

Tissue clearing is a technique that makes tissues transparent, allowing accurate 3D imaging. It is important because it improves our understanding of biology and disease progression by providing detailed insights into the 3D structure of tissues.

Q: How does tissue clearing work?

Tissue clearing involves addressing three main reasons why tissues are not transparent: pigments, auto fluorescence, and refractive index heterogeneity. By using chemicals to remove pigments, highlight specific structures with auto fluorescence, and equalize the refractive index throughout the tissue, transparency is achieved.

Q: What are the applications of tissue clearing?

Tissue clearing has applications in various fields, including developmental biology, cancer research, bone marrow research, and neurodegenerative disease research. It allows researchers to study the development, progression, and treatment of various conditions with more accuracy and detail.

Q: What are the challenges in tissue clearing?

Currently, tissue clearing is a trial and error process, and there is still much to learn about its details and different clearing methods. Challenges include finding the right chemicals, considering cost, toxicity, and compatibility with staining methods, and determining the optimal clearing time for different tissues.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Tissue clearing involves making tissues transparent and highlighting specific structures for accurate 3D imaging.

• Currently, our understanding of the detailed 3D structure of our bodies is limited, and tissue clearing can help improve this understanding.

• Traditional methods of tissue imaging involve cutting and imaging thin slices, but tissue clearing offers a more efficient and accurate approach.