Depth-enhanced molecular imaging with two-photon oblique plane microscopy.

High-numerical-aperture (NA) oblique plane microscopy enables noninvasive fluorescence imaging of subcellular dynamics without requiring radical sample modification. However, performance degrades at depth in multicellular specimens as scattering and refractive-index heterogeneity raise out-of-focus background. We report a two-photon oblique plane microscope that improves resolution at depth by combining high-NA single-objective detection with multiphoton plane illumination. The microscope achieves $\sim\!300$ nm lateral and $\sim\!650$ nm axial resolution, with single-molecule sensitivity in vivo. Compared with two-photon point scanning, the lower illumination NA delivers an order of magnitude lower peak intensity, enabling $>\!5\times$ faster volumetric acquisition (up to $3.25 \times 10^6$ voxels s$^{-1}$) with reduced photodamage. In multicellular contexts, near-infrared nonlinear excitation enhances contrast throughout the illumination depth by $\sim\!2\times$ and restores volumetric resolving power by $>\!2\times$ relative to linear excitation. We demonstrate these capabilities through molecular imaging of epithelial tissue, stem-cell-derived gastruloids, and living fruit fly embryos, including multicolor transcription-factor dynamics, optogenetic subcellular control, and single-mRNA tracking, all using standard glass-based mounting.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
PubMed
Published
2025-12-04
Primary Topic
Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Depth-enhanced molecular imaging with two-photon oblique plane microscopy.

Richard H. Thornton, Sergey Ryabichko, Harold M. McNamara, Jared E. Toettcher et al.
PubMed
Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques
article

Depth-enhanced molecular imaging with two-photon oblique plane microscopy.

Richard H. Thornton, Sergey Ryabichko, Harold M. McNamara, Jared E. Toettcher, Alicia Durán, Kevin Keomanee-Dizon, Poul‐Erik Hansen, Yaakov Clenman, Tohn Borjigin
article en

Abstract

High-numerical-aperture (NA) oblique plane microscopy enables noninvasive fluorescence imaging of subcellular dynamics without requiring radical sample modification. However, performance degrades at depth in multicellular specimens as scattering and refractive-index heterogeneity raise out-of-focus background. We report a two-photon oblique plane microscope that improves resolution at depth by combining high-NA single-objective detection with multiphoton plane illumination. The microscope achieves $\sim\!300$ nm lateral and $\sim\!650$ nm axial resolution, with single-molecule sensitivity in vivo. Compared with two-photon point scanning, the lower illumination NA delivers an order of magnitude lower peak intensity, enabling $>\!5\times$ faster volumetric acquisition (up to $3.25 \times 10^6$ voxels s$^{-1}$) with reduced photodamage. In multicellular contexts, near-infrared nonlinear excitation enhances contrast throughout the illumination depth by $\sim\!2\times$ and restores volumetric resolving power by $>\!2\times$ relative to linear excitation. We demonstrate these capabilities through molecular imaging of epithelial tissue, stem-cell-derived gastruloids, and living fruit fly embryos, including multicolor transcription-factor dynamics, optogenetic subcellular control, and single-mRNA tracking, all using standard glass-based mounting.

PubMed
National Science Foundation, Princeton University, National Institutes of Health
Openalex Percentile: Top 76%
Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Depth-enhanced molecular imaging with two-photon oblique plane microscopy. — Richard H. Thornton, Sergey Ryabichko, et al. · PubMed (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS