October 2013 - This Month in JoVE

Summary

Here's a look at what's coming up in the October 2013 issue of JoVE.

Protocol

Micron-scale Resolution Optical Tomography of Entire Mouse Brains with Confocal Light Sheet Microscopy

Ludovico Silvestri¹, Alessandro Bria^2,3, Irene Costantini¹, Leonardo Sacconi^1,4, Hanchuan Peng⁵, Giulio Iannello², Francesco Saverio Pavone^1,4,6,7

¹European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), ²Integrated Research Centre, University Campus Bio-medico of Rome, ³DAEMI, University of Cassino, ⁴National Institute of Optics (CNR-INO), ⁵Allen Institute for Brain Science, ⁶Department of Physics, University of Florence, ⁷ICON Foundation, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

In this article we describe the full experimental procedure to reconstruct, with high resolution, the fine brain anatomy of fluorescently labeled mouse brains. The described protocol includes sample preparation and clearing, specimen mounting for imaging, data post-processing and multi-scale visualization.

Procedure for the Development of Multi-Depth Circular Cross-Sectional Endothelialized Microchannels-on-a-Chip

Xiang Li¹, Samantha Marie Mearns¹, Manuela Martins-Green², Yuxin Liu¹

¹Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, ²Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California at Riverside

A microchannels-on-a-chip platform was developed by the combination of photolithographic reflowable photoresist technique, soft lithography, and microfluidics. The endothelialized microchannels platform mimics the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of in vivo microvessels, runs under controlled continuous perfusion flow, allows for high-quality and real-time imaging, and can be applied for microvascular research.

Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses

Hui Jiang¹, Hugues Barbier², Thomas Brutnell¹

¹Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, ²Boyce Thompson Institute

We have developed a methodology for performing crosses in Setaria viridis (S. viridis). The method involves pruning the panicle prior to a hot water treatment to kill viable pollen. Crosses are performed following a well-controlled growth regime and typically result in the recovery of 1 to 7 cross-pollinated seed/s per panicle.

A Venturi Effect Can Help Cure Our Trees

Lucio Montecchio

Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TeSAF), Unversity of Padova

Compared to the more traditional hole-based methods, most of which require the tree to be drilled, tools with lenticular blades transform the basics of endotherapy easing the closure of the wound and allowing the natural uptake of the solutions.