Emerging Trends in Multi-photon Microscopy

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2025 | Viewed by 2554

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Interests: neuroscience; imaging; optical; electrophysiology; surgery; animal models

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Neurological Sciences and Psychiatry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
Interests: neuroscience; imaging; optical; microscopy; neurodegeneration; microcirculation; blood flow; ischemia; neuroinflammation; animal models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multi-photon microscopy has proven to be an essential tool in life sciences thanks to its capability of optical sectioning and deeper penetration into the tissue, allowing for better in vivo imaging. Live animal imaging is highly informative, especially for the investigation of complex biological or pathophysiological phenomena that cannot be properly modeled outside living organisms. Advances in multi-photon microscopy are continuously expanding our capabilities in biomedical research. There is a spectrum of newly developing techniques to optimize imaging parameters like penetration, resolution, field of view and speed. There has also been progress in the integration of multi-photon microscopy with other imaging modalities, optogenetic techniques, and electrophysiology, and the recent introduction of portable/wearable multi-photon microscopes is becoming beneficial for especially long-duration behavioral investigations in animals’ natural contexts. Additionally, the growing library of fluorophores and genetically modified animals complement technological advances in MP microscopy towards exciting scientific achievements.

This Special Issue aims to introduce the reader to technological advances in multi-photon microscopy from a multidisciplinary approach. We are seeking original research articles, letters, and review articles in the area. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: engineering advances in multi-photon microscopy, use of multi-photon microscopy in life sciences, in vivo animal imaging with multi-photon microscopy, multi-photon microscopy use in neuroscience, novel fluorescent probes suitable for multi-photon microscopy, advances in analysis of multi-photon microscopy data.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Kıvılcım Kılıç
Dr. Şefik Evren Erdener
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microscopy
  • multi-photon
  • imaging
  • life sciences
  • in vivo
  • neuroscience

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

21 pages, 3723 KiB  
Review
Advances in Deep Brain Imaging with Quantum Dots: Structural, Functional, and Disease-Specific Roles
by Tenesha Connor, Hemal Weerasinghe, Justin Lathia, Clemens Burda and Murat Yildirim
Photonics 2025, 12(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12010003 - 24 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2011
Abstract
Quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising tools in advancing multiphoton microscopy (MPM) for deep brain imaging, addressing long-standing challenges in resolution, penetration depth, and light–tissue interactions. MPM, which relies on nonlinear photon absorption, enables fluorescence imaging within defined volumes, effectively reducing background [...] Read more.
Quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising tools in advancing multiphoton microscopy (MPM) for deep brain imaging, addressing long-standing challenges in resolution, penetration depth, and light–tissue interactions. MPM, which relies on nonlinear photon absorption, enables fluorescence imaging within defined volumes, effectively reducing background noise and photobleaching. However, achieving greater depths remains limited by light scattering and absorption, compounded by the need for balanced laser power to avoid tissue damage. QDs, nanoscale semiconductor particles with unique optical properties, offer substantial advantages over traditional fluorophores, including high quantum yields, large absorption cross-sections, superior photostability, and tunable emission spectra. These properties enhance signal to background ratio at increased depths and reduce scattering effects, making QDs ideal for imaging subcortical regions like the hippocampus without extensive microscope modifications. Studies have demonstrated the capability of QDs to achieve imaging depths up to 2100 μm, far exceeding that of conventional fluorophores. Beyond structural imaging, QDs facilitate functional imaging applications, such as high-resolution tracking of hemodynamic responses and neural activity, supporting investigations of neuronal dynamics and blood flow in vivo. Their stability enables long-term, targeted drug delivery and photodynamic therapy, presenting potential therapeutic applications in treating brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury. This review highlights the impact of QDs on MPM, their effectiveness in overcoming light attenuation in deep tissue, and their expanding role in diagnosing and treating neurological disorders, positioning them as transformative agents for both brain imaging and intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Multi-photon Microscopy)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop