WHOLISTIC ExM: Whole-Body Expansion Microscopy with Immunofluorescence and Histological Stain

Overview

This advanced Whole Body Expansion-Microscopy (WB-ExM) protocol facilitates the acquisition of molecular and cell-type information at subcellular resolution throughout the entire zebrafish organism. The method is particularly effective for larvae up to at least 14 days post-fertilization.

Key Features

• Enzyme-free approach: Rapid and robust processing
• High-temperature chemical hydrolysis: Uniform tissue softening at 100°C
• Multi expansion cycles: Moderate ~1.7× expansion factors per cycle
• Excellent optical clearing: Retains high levels of antibody signals
• Compatible with older samples: Enhanced processing speeds

Download Protocol

📄 Download Complete Protocol (PDF)

Protocol ID: dr8d59s6 | DOI: 10.17504/protocols.io.dm6gp9wxjvzp/v1 Also available on protocols.io: dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.dm6gp9wxjvzp/v3

Citation

Virginie M S Ruetten, Amy Hu, Mark Eddison, Kari Close, Yisheng He, Misha B. Ahrens, Paul Tillberg. Whole-Body Expansion Microscopy with Immunofluorescence and Histological Stains (WB-ExM-IF & WB-ExM-Histo). protocols.io

Feel free to email me if you have any questions about the protocol or implementation.