Reconstructions of Hippocampal Cultures (IMAGE) International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) Caption The images represent confocal reconstructions of hippocampal neurons grown on 3-D-Scaffold. The cultures were first immunolabelled for β-tubulin III (in red) in order to visualize the neurons; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP, in green) to visualize glial cells and DAPI (in blue) for nuclei. The images were acquired using a sophisticated Laser-Scanning Confocal Microscope for viewing samples in 3-D, which is not possible in standard microscopes. The 3-D renderings demonstrate that the cells grown on such substrates are capable of migrating and forming connections in all spatial configurations, thus overcoming the constraints imposed by culturing on flat surfaces. The reconstructions are of neurons and glial cells spreading through a thickness of 60-100 micron (consider that the size of neuronal soma is around 10 micron). Using this highly technological approach we were able to appreciate that the cells and their processes were not simply anchored to the scaffold but were in fact navigating the pores present in the 3-D-structure. Credit SISSA Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.