Three-dimensional imaging of gene expression patterns by x-ray computed tomography

This project is aimed to visualize 3D gene expressions of large and opaque biological samples by means of X-ray contrast – combining the knowledge of traditional molecular biology and physics. An advanced imaging method allows for a new way of looking at gene expressions by giving a general, automated high-throughput method of showing complete 3D expression data of genes with a resolution down to the subcellular level, achievable even in large specimen up to complete animals without the need for any sectioning or mechanical manipulation. We demonstrated the performance of this new imaging modality on GFP-tagged reporter lines of the medaka fish. Particularly, we visualized stem cell markers in adult medaka fish organs, such as sox9b and the vascular system where the fli gene is tagged.