Expansion microscopy (ExM) is a new imaging modality developed by MIT Media Lab's Synthetic Neurobiology group. ExM allows biomolecules to be imaged at nanoscale resolution on conventional, high-speed, diffraction limited optics by synthesizing a swellable polymer network within the sample and thereby physically separating objects of interest isotropically. In the past, we were able to expand the brain tissue 4-20 times in the lateral dimension, achieving 20-90 nm resolution with affordable optics, including a webcam – achieving ~90nm resolution. Considering that existing optics needed for such high resolutions require bulky, expensive parts subject to misalignment and irreversible damage in a physically demanding condition like a spaceship, ExM has the potential to be the most affordable solution for nanoscale imaging of biomolecules in the reduced gravity environment. We aim to demonstrate its claimed feasibility through the project.
Expansion microscopy (ExM) is a new imaging modality developed by MIT Media Lab's Synthetic Neurobiology group. ExM allows biomolecules to be imaged at nanoscale resolution on conventional, high-speed, diffraction limited optics by synthesizing a swellable polymer network within the sample and thereby physically separating objects of interest isotropically. In the past, we were able to expand the brain tissue 4-20 times in the lateral dimension, achieving 20-90 nm resolution with affordable optics, including a webcam – achieving ~90nm resolution. Considering that existing optics needed for such high resolutions require bulky, expensive parts subject to misalignment and irreversible damage in a physically demanding condition like a spaceship, ExM has the potential to be the most affordable solution for nanoscale imaging of biomolecules in the reduced gravity environment. We aim to demonstrate its claimed feasibility through the project.