Optical tools to investigate cellular activity in the intestinal wall

Abstract

Live imaging has become an essential tool to investigate the coordinated activity and output of cellular networks. Within the last decade, 2 Nobel prizes have been awarded to recognize innovations in the field of imaging: one for the discovery, use, and optimization of the green fluorescent protein (2008) and the second for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy (2014). New advances in both optogenetics and microscopy now enable researchers to record and manipulate activity from specific populations of cells with better contrast and resolution, at higher speeds, and deeper into live tissues. In this review, we will discuss some of the recent developments in microscope tech..