LICONN

LICONN is a novel brain mapping technique developed by ISTA and Google Research, using light microscopy to simplify connectomics and accelerate discoveries about the brain

Unlike electron microscopy (EM), LICONN combines light microscopy with tissue expansion to achieve nanoscale resolution while integrating molecular information

LICONN uses a swellable hydrogel to expand brain tissue by 16 times, enabling nanoscale imaging (20 nm lateral, 50 nm axial resolution) with standard light microscopes

Tissue is embedded in a hydrogel, which improves resolution, homogenizes the refractive index, and facilitates imaging across extended volumes

Mice are infused with hydrogel monomers, and epoxide chemicals are used to stabilize biomolecules and anchor proteins for hydrogel expansion

Google Research provides AI tools like SOFIMA for image stitching and flood-filling networks (FFNs) for automated segmentation of neural structures

Immunolabelling identifies specific proteins (e.g., SHANK2, PSD95, VGLUT1) to incorporate molecular data into synapse-level reconstructions

LICONN uses standard light microscopy hardware and open-source deep-learning tools, making high-resolution brain mapping more accessible to labs worldwide

Researchers aim to scale LICONN to map larger volumes, including entire mouse brains, using iterative block-face imaging and sectioning

LICONN has been used to map mouse brain regions like the hippocampus and somatosensory cortex, imaging volumes of ~1 million µm³

For more details visit Govindhtech.com