Introduction of green fluorescent protein into hippocampal neurons through viral infection

In the past decade, advances in microscopy have been coupled with new methods of culturing and labeling cells to generate the new science of imaging. Imaging technologies allow investigators to look directly inside living cells and probe their form and function in unprecedented detail. This approach is revolutionizing many aspects of biomedical research, particularly neuroscience, in which visual techniques have traditionally been so important. This manual is the first comprehensive description of the range of imaging technologies being applied to living cells. With its origins in a laboratory course taught at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory by the editors and contributors, it is packed with the kind of technical detail and practical advice that are essential for success, yet seldom found in the research literature. It covers both established methods and cutting-edge techniques such as multiphoton excitation microscopy and imaging of genetically engineered probes. Although it is neurons to which these technologies are most commonly applied, the methods described are readily adaptable to many other cell types. This book will therefore be an invaluable aid to investigators in cell and developmental biology and immunology as well as neuroscience who wish to take advantage of the extraordinary insights into cellular function offered by imaging technologies