Ultrastructurally smooth thick partitioning and volume stitching for large-scale connectomics.

Hayworth, Kenneth J; Xu, C Shan; Lu, Zhiyuan; Knott, Graham W; Fetter, Richard D; Tapia, Juan Carlos; Lichtman, Jeff W; Hess, Harald F · Nat Methods · 2015

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

Focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) has become an essential tool for studying neural tissue at resolutions below 10 nm × 10 nm × 10 nm, producing data sets optimized for automatic connectome tracing. We present a technical advance, ultrathick sectioning, which reliably subdivides embedded tissue samples into chunks (20 μm thick) optimally sized and mounted for efficient, parallel FIB-SEM imaging. These chunks are imaged separately and then 'volume stitched' back together, producing a final three-dimensional data set suitable for connectome tracing.

Medical subject headings