Seeing the Brain in a Different Light

By Curie | Biotech Reporter

March 13, 2026 — Studying the living brain has always been a challenge. MRI and CT scans offer limited detail, and even studies of ex vivo brain tissue struggle with image quality due to the density of neural tissue. But a new technique from Kyushu University may change that.

Researchers have developed a method that not only clears brain tissue for imaging but does so while preserving normal brain dynamics — something previous clearing techniques failed to achieve.

The technique, called SeeDB-Live, uses bovine serum albumin (BSA) as its key ingredient. After screening nearly 100 compounds, the team found that albumin — a common laboratory reagent — could clear tissue without disrupting its function.

"I tested it three or four times before I believed it," said Shigenori Inagaki, PhD, first author and assistant professor at Kyushu University. "Of all things, we never expected it would come down to this."

The discovery was serendipitous. Late one evening during compound testing, Inagaki considered that proteins are polymers and might clear cells without affecting osmolarity like carbohydrates do.

"Albumin is abundant in blood and highly soluble, which makes it well-suited for clearing," noted Takeshi Imai, PhD, senior author. "It was an accidental discovery, but looking back, it feels almost natural."

The team tested SeeDB-Live in brain slices, immersing them for an hour. Using a calcium indicator, they imaged neuronal firing deep in the tissue. In living mouse brains, fluorescence was three times brighter following SeeDB-Live application.

"This is the first time tissue clearing has been achieved without altering its biology," said Imai.