Jer-Ray Hsu

Designing CT Contrast Agents for 3D Tissue Mapping

Micro-computed tomography (microCT) is an X-ray-based imaging technique that enables the high-resolution analysis of biological soft tissues, providing detailed images of large structures as well as virtual cross-sections and three-dimensional reconstructions. Using laboratory or synchrotron X-ray sources, microCT offers a rapid and relatively straightforward approach to visualizing and mapping brain tissue architecture. This project aims to incorporate X-ray-attenuating heavy elements into established neural staining agents, preserving their staining properties while introducing sufficient X-ray contrast for microCT imaging. By combining conventional neural staining with X-ray-based imaging, this approach seeks to provide new insights into neuronal morphology, tissue architecture, and the spatial organization of neuronal cells and their interactions.