Transparent brains make neuroscience clearer: First, they remove the brain from a mouse and infuse it with a see-through gel that collects in the neurons' lipid membranes. As the gel solidifies, it takes the shape of the membranes and creates a matrix that holds the cells' proteins, DNA and RNA in place. Then the team adds a second chemical that dissolves the lipids, leaving a transparent brain made out of gel that retains the brain's proteins, DNA and RNA in their original positions.
The technique – which the researchers have named Clarity – makes it easy to see the structure of individual neurons, and preserves the fragile interconnections in near-perfect detail...
The team has successfully turned a 0.5-millimetre-thick section of human brain transparent, but working with larger chunks of human brain may be a challenge, as human neurons have a large amount of fatty protein surrounding their axons that must all be dissolved.
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