Open-source STPT
BrainSaw is an open-source serial section two-photon tomography (STPT) microscope for automated whole-brain imaging.
In STPT a two-photon microscope is coupled to a vibratome. The system images the exposed face of the tissue block, slices it away, and repeats until the whole organ has been acquired. The result is a high-resolution 3D dataset with minimal sample preparation.
Developed at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre in London, BrainSaw images up to six mouse brains overnight and is fully automated. It is not a prototype: our three in-house systems have imaged over 7,000 brains in the last decade, and the platform has been adopted by labs and facilities around the world. The CAD models, build instructions and software are all freely available. An existing two-photon microscope can be converted for as little as 35,000 EUR.
- 7,000+ brains imaged at the SWC
- 6 mouse brains imaged overnight
- 30+ research papers
- 12 sites in 8 countries