UCLA

If we are to understand how nature formulates complex animal behavior, we must develop the tools that have the capabilities to capture these processes in their full capacity. I have created Transverse-Sheet Illumination Microscopy (TranSIM), a highly customizable, single objective microscope, with micron level resolution (0.7 um, 1.1 um, 1.6 um in x, y, and z, respectively) with the ability to image extended three dimensional volumes (750 um x 560 um x 160 um) at 200 volumes per second. For Danio rerio, approximately 10^5 neurons were imaged in 3D, opening an unparalleled view into the animal's complex processes at near millisecond temporal resolution. Fast intra-planar and inter-planar processes were observed signaling that utility of TranSIM. Overall, a 10-fold increase in the total volumetric imaging rate is achieved compared to any system currently available, and still with ample room for improvement.