Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
A Rockefeller University team has developed TrUDI, a next-gen three-photon microscopy platform that images deep brain structures — like the hippocampus and striatum — without surgically removing overlying tissue or causing heat damage. The system delivers a ~250-fold boost in imaging efficiency by rethinking every component of the laser and optical setup from scratch. It reached tissue depths of up to 2.1 mm in living mice, far beyond the previous 1.2 mm limit.
A new microscopy platform just pushed past the limits of deep brain imaging — without harming a single neuron.
Researchers at Rockefeller University have unveiled TrUDI (Three-photon Ultra-Deep Imaging), a ground-up redesign of three-photon microscopy that dramatically extends how deep scientists can image a living brain. Published in Nature Methods, the platform achieves a ~250-fold increase in imaging efficiency by optimizing laser pulse rate, energy delivery, and light collection — all while staying within safe power exposure limits that prevent tissue overheating.
The team validated TrUDI in mice, successfully recording neural activity across the full depth of the hippocampus and striatum — regions previously accessible only through invasive surgery. Post-imaging tissue analysis confirmed no inflammation, neuron loss, or DNA damage, underscoring the platform's strong safety profile.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Understanding how deep brain circuits drive behavior has long been hampered by the inability to image them non-invasively. TrUDI opens a new window into previously unreachable brain regions, with significant implications for neuroscience research and the study of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
