High-resolution line-scan Brillouin microscopy for live imaging of mechanical properties during embryo development

• Published in: Nature methods Vol. 20; no. 5; pp. 755 - 760
• Main Authors: Bevilacqua, Carlo, Gomez, Juan Manuel, Fiuza, Ulla-Maj, Chan, Chii Jou, Wang, Ling, Hambura, Sebastian, Eguren, Manuel, Ellenberg, Jan, Diz-Muñoz, Alba, Leptin, Maria, Prevedel, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.05.2023; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/1647/2204; 631/1647/245/2226; 631/1647/334/1582; 631/1647/334/1874/345; Animals; Ascidiacea; Bioengineering; Bioinformatics; Biological activity; Biological Microscopy; Biological properties; Biological samples; Biological Techniques; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology; Data analysis; Drosophila; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Embryonic Development; Embryos; High resolution; Imaging; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; Insects; Laboratories; Life Sciences; Light sheets; Mechanical properties; Mice; Microscopy; Microscopy - methods; Molecular biology; Neurosciences; Optical properties; Phototoxicity; Proteomics; Signal to noise ratio; Spectrum analysis
• ISSN: 1548-7091; 1548-7105; 1548-7105
• DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01822-1

Brillouin microscopy can assess mechanical properties of biological samples in a three-dimensional (3D), all-optical and hence non-contact fashion, but its weak signals often lead to long imaging times and require an illumination dosage harmful for living organisms. Here, we present a high-resolution line-scanning Brillouin microscope for multiplexed and hence fast 3D imaging of dynamic biological processes with low phototoxicity. The improved background suppression and resolution, in combination with fluorescence light-sheet imaging, enables the visualization of the mechanical properties of cells and tissues over space and time in living organism models such as fruit flies, ascidians and mouse embryos. Line-scan Brillouin microscopy enables fast 3D imaging of mechanical properties with low phototoxicity, as shown for Drosophila and mouse embryos, as well as ascidians.