(Invited) Single Luminescent Carbon Nanotubes Interrogate the Live Brain Extracellular Space at the Nanoscale

Abstract

The extracellular space (ECS) of the brain represents up to a fifth of brain volume with an undisclosed complex miniaturized topology. While it has long been seen as a passive brain area, it however constitutes an important signaling region for the development, function and communication of neuronal and glial cells. Interestingly, we have identified luminescent single wall carbon nanotubes, as unique nanoreporters to probe the brain extracellular space. This comes from their unique morphological and near-infrared optical properties, which are now well established but also provide a rich platform for improvements. We used super-localization imaging and single particle tracking of luminescent carbon nanotubes to interrogate the local ECS architecture in live brain tissue at the nanoscale[1-3]. In particular, the interplay between the nanotube geometry and the extracellular space local environment allows extracting information about the ECS local viscosity [1, 4]. In this presentation our recent results about the specific ECS properties near identified brain structures [5] (e.g synapses) and in neurodegenerative disease animal models [6] will also be presented.