Methods

Preclinical testing: Designing an in-vivo study

• Guidelines

​Animal imaging: Visualizing structures and biological processes in vivo

• Optical imaging
  • Fluorescence vs. bioluminescence
  • How to choose a dye
  • Minimize autofluorescent/autoluminescent background
  • Optimal settings (exposure time, pixel size, fstop, filters)
  • Advanced settings (spectral unmixing, tomography)

• Ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging
  • When to use
  • How to choose a frequency
  • B-mode vs. M-mode vs. Color Doppler vs. Power Doppler vs. Contrast mode vs. Photoacoustic imaging

• Micro-computerized x-ray tomography imaging
  • When to use
  • How to choose current/voltage settings
  • Typical image artifacts and how to minimize them
  • Contrast agents (iodine, barium, gold)

• Magnetic resonance imaging
  • How does it work?
  • Pros & Cons
  • MRI, fMRI, MRS, DWI/DTI, x-nuclei
  • How to choose a pulse sequence
  • Image weighting and contrast
  • Contrast agents (Gd, iron oxide) vs. labels (fluorine)
  • Common pulse sequences
  • Useful links

• Positron emission tomography imaging
  • When to use
  • Biological vs. radioactive half life
  • Radioactivity cross calibration
  • Contrast agents (18F, 64C, 89Zr)