Revolutionizing Neural Circuit Imaging in Freely Behaving Animal Research

Bruker Corporation has announced the launch of the nVista 2P miniature, two-photon microscope, a groundbreaking addition to the Inscopix product line for functional imaging of freely behaving animals. It leverages advanced two-photon fluorescence microscopy technology to enable high-resolution imaging at greater depths with 3D data reconstruction, providing researchers with unprecedented insights into neuronal activity. Featuring several innovations in miniscope design, nVista 2P offers enhanced resolution for sub-cellular imaging and mapping of neural circuit dynamics.

The nVista 2P miniscope is a self-contained, complete microscope that weighs only about 2 grams. This system offers single-cell resolution with imaging depths up to 300 microns to enable detailed exploration of densely labelled and deep regions, such as the entorhinal cortex and hypothalamus. The system is ideal for investigating disease models and key processes (e.g., spatial memory and neurotransmitter signaling). It is compatible with both shallow and deep GRIN lens applications and cranial window preparations, targeting all regions of a rodent’s brain with the same protocols used in one-photon experiments.

“The 2P miniscope’s lightweight, compact, and adaptable design, paired with its thoughtfully crafted, intuitive interface, ensures exceptional ease of use,” said Mostafizur Rahman, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Dulac Lab, Harvard University. “It significantly advances our ability to address compelling scientific questions. Having previously relied on the Inscopix 1P miniscope, we have experienced a seamless transition to the 2P miniscope, further amplifying its value as a powerful tool for our research.”

“The introduction of nVista 2P marks a major step forward in free-roaming miniscope innovation that complements Bruker’s industry-leading benchtop Ultima multiphoton microscope technology,” added Kunal Ghosh, Ph.D., CEO at Inscopix. “The unique ability of this new system to acquire high-resolution brain data in three dimensions, and its seamless integration with our exclusive sample preparation-to-results workflows, make it an ideal tool for researchers studying neuronal circuits in freely-behaving animals.”

About nVista 2P

The nVista 2P miniscope features full field-of-view acquisition at up to 15 Hertz over a 400x400-micron area, with the ability to target focal planes between 0- and 300-microns working distance. The system integrates into the full Inscopix ecosystem with unique ProView Integrated 2P Lenses, the nVision behavioral acquisition unit, the IDEAS platform (including suite2p and CalmAn for specialized two-photon calcium imaging analysis), and Inscopix Data Processing Software (IDPS). In addition, nVista 2P is compatible with third-party accessories through TTL communication. The hardware is packaged on a carrier for easy transport between behavioral setups and requires a single power source. The nVista 2P miniscope comes completely ready to use and provides high-quality data within the first day, integrating seamlessly with users’ routine workflows, all backed by Inscopix's leading scientific support team.

About Bruker Corporation – Leader of the Post-Genomic Era

Bruker is enabling scientists and engineers to make breakthrough post-genomic discoveries and develop new applications that improve the quality of human life. Bruker’s high performance scientific instruments and high value analytical and diagnostic solutions enable scientists to explore life and materials at molecular, cellular, and microscopic levels. In close cooperation with our customers, Bruker is enabling innovation, improved productivity, and customer success in post-genomic life science molecular and cell biology research, in applied and biopharma applications, in microscopy and nanoanalysis, as well as in industrial and cleantech research, and next-gen semiconductor metrology in support of AI. Bruker offers differentiated, high-value life science and diagnostics systems and solutions in preclinical imaging, clinical phenomics research, proteomics and multiomics, spatial and single-cell biology, functional structural and condensate biology, as well as in clinical microbiology and molecular diagnostics.