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In a recent publication, the Majka Lab developed a novel method for visualizing and quantifying lung microvasculature in three dimensions. This workflow fills a critical gap in lung research, where studying the complex, branching capillary network has historically been limited by imaging constraints. To overcome this, the team combined several key techniques: 1️⃣ Retro-orbital injection of fluorescent tomato lectin to label pulmonary endothelial cells 2️⃣ Precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) at 150 µm thickness using the Compresstome® vibratome 3️⃣ Confocal imaging followed by advanced 3D reconstruction using Imaris software This innovative approach enables the detailed measurement of vessel density, volume, and branching, providing new insights into the mechanisms of angiogenesis and vascular loss in fibrotic lungs.

Because RNA therapeutics are often species-specific, human-relevant models are critical for their development. To meet this need, the Jiang Lab has refined a robust workflow for generating precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) from both healthy and diseased human livers -- leveraging BIDMC’s strong liver transplant program. Using the Compresstome vibratome from Precisionary Instruments, the team prepares intact liver slices within a tight two-hour window from operating room to incubator. Their workflow includes tissue preservation, slicing, recovery, and culture, enabling long-term slice viability -- up to 14 days -- while maintaining liver-specific gene expression and metabolic function.

The central scientific question guiding the Joulia Lab is how immune cell activation influences lung blood vessel architecture during respiratory disease. Inflammatory processes are a defining feature of asthma and COPD, yet the structural consequences of inflammation -- particularly on the pulmonary vasculature -- remain incompletely understood. Dr. Joulia’s team studies how chronic inflammation alters tissue remodeling, with a specific emphasis on changes in blood vessel organization. Two cell types are of particular interest: 1️⃣ mast cells, key immune sentinels involved in inflammatory signaling, and 2️⃣ pericytes, specialized structural cells that play a critical role in maintaining vascular stability and function. By dissecting how these cell populations interact within inflamed lung tissue, the lab aims to uncover mechanisms that drive pathological remodeling and identify potential therapeutic targets.

In her newly published work, Dr. Fergusson presents a protocol that enables the highly organized microanatomical structure of secondary lymphoid organs to be preserved during short-term culture. This expands on 2D cell culture and organoid approaches by maintaining the native 3D lymphoid microarchitecture, which allows for physiologically relevant insights into immune perturbation. Read our publication highlight for a closer look at the methodology and its significance.

Cryopreservation plays a critical role in agriculture, medicine, and conservation. Despite its widespread use, we still don’t fully understand how cryoprotectants interact with biological tissues, especially inplant systems. The Levinger Lab aims to uncover the fundamental chemistry that determines whether a preservation strategy will succeed—or fail. In her recent publication in Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, Kreckel developed a workflow to section live peppermint shoot tips, preserving their cellular architecture while preparing them for advanced optical imaging. Using coherent Raman microscopy, she tracks the movement of cryoprotectants into and through delicate plant tissue.

In their recent study, the Bienkowski Lab demonstrated that pyramidal neurons in the CA1 hippocampal region are organized into distinct laminar subpopulations with unique molecular signatures. This refined anatomical and molecular map provides critical insight into how hippocampal circuits are structured -- and why certain neuronal populations may be more susceptible to degeneration than others. The reproducibility and tissue integrity achieved using the Compresstome vibratome were key to correlating spatial transcriptomic data with three-dimensional anatomical features, enabling conclusions that would not be possible with lower-fidelity sectioning approaches.