Considerations of Photon Statistics in Connectome Imaging with Expansion Microscopy

Fu-Jen Kao^1*, Scotte Liu¹, Jerry Wong¹, Ann-Shyn Chiang², Henry Liu², Daniel Wu², Wei-Kun Chang²

¹Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
²Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hwa University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

* Presenter:Fu-Jen Kao, email:fujenkao@gmail.com

Hugely expanded drosophila brain via expansion microscopy has brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges in connectome imaging. 100X expansion has been demonstrated by enlarging the typically 0.6x0.3x0.2 mm brain to 60x30x20 mm, which promises electron microscopy resolution (~3 nm) with optical microscopy (~300 nm) to resolve the synapses connection. A highly sped-up imaging method integrated with an ultrasound-activated microtome is crucial to support the initiative.

Critically, photon statistics will determine the fundamental considerations in selecting the contrasts for optical imaging, which will be discussed in this presentation.

Keywords: Photon Statistics , Expansion Microscopy, Connectome, Drosophila, Microtome