UbiClear is an innovative method for optical clearing of biological samples. Thanks to its unique formulation, UbiClear solution makes thick samples transparent in less than 20 minutes without any toxic compounds. Simply place the sample in the clearing buffer, incubate it at 37 °C and transfer it to the imaging solution. A fantastic way to make clearing available to anyone.
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UbiClear
Non-toxic
Aquose solution
Compatible with fluorescence labeling
Versatile
For different types of tissue
Ultra-fast
Within minutes
UbiClear is an aqueous solution that modifies the optical properties of complex biological tissues by removing lipids and homogenizing refractive indices: opaque tissues become transparent while keeping their original structure intact.
The UbiClear workflow is simple and does not require specific knowledge or access to sophisticated equipment.
1- Depigmentation (1h a 37 ºC)
2- Clearing (from 20 min to overnight, depending on tissue type)
3- Imaging and long-term storage
1 mm thick mice brain slices (fat tissue), 2 cm mice intestine fragments and a 1 mm thick ox knee slices (joint cartilage and bone, calcified tissue).
If you would like more information about Idylle or this product, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Which types of samples is UbiClear efficient for?
UbiClear can be used to clear a wide spectrum of samples ranging from small 3D cell structures up to entire organisms. So far, UbiClear has shown efficient clearing of:
– 3D cell structures: human embryoid bodies, human mini-brains.
– Human tissues: frontal cortex.
– Mice tissue sections (1 mm thick): spinal cord, brain (cerebellum, choroid plexus), testes, seminal vesicle, ear (elastic cartilage and hair), lungs, heart, intestine, kidney, skeletal muscle, yolk sac membranes.
– Ox tissues (1 mm thick): knee (joint cartilage and bone)*.
– Plants: ivy leaves, carrot slices, beet roots, microcallus & callus organoids, nasturtium stamen, melon seeds, sprouted tomato seeds, rose stem slices
– Whole organs: mouse brain, heart, intestine, eye, teeth* and dorsal root ganglia.
– Whole organisms: Colisa Lalia, zebrafish, firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus), wasp, grasshopper, spiders, shield bugs (Graphosoma lineatum), flies, cockroaches.
– Crustaceans: woodlouse.
– Molluscs: slug, mussel (including shell)*
*For bone & teeth samples, an additional step of demineralization needs to be performed prior clearing.
Is clearing reversible?
Yes, it is possible to re-opacify the samples by incubating them in a 0.2 M Tris buffer at pH 8. Re-opacifying can be a practical way to select and section a region of interest for downstream assays (i.e. immunostaining).
What is the refractive index of the Imaging Solution?
The final imaging solution obtained following our protocol of use (i.e. diluting the Mix 2 solution in water) has a refractive index of 1.47. It is possible to increase it up to 1.485 by adding less water to the Mix 2 solution.
How does UbiClear works?
UbiClear efficiently clears biological tissues by removing lipids (Mix 1) and homogenizing refractive indexes (Mix 2) of the sample’s internal components. The clearing solution is prepared by mixing Mix 1 & Mix 2, and the imaging solution is prepared by diluting Mix 2 in water.
Will I be able to visualize endogenous fluorescence after clearing with UbiClear?
Yes, endogenous fluorescence is retained after clearing (this has been demonstrated with dT-tomato and GFP). If your sample contains a native fluorescent protein, you should simply omit the optional depigmentation step, as it is likely to interfere with the fluorescence signal.
What is UbiClear not suitable for?
As UbiClear works by removing lipids from the samples, this solution will not be suitable for imaging & staining lipids. It is also not compatible with direct nucleic acid dyes (DAPI, BET, methyl green & Topro3). If DNA staining is expected, we recommend using indirect antibody labeling strategies.
Which fixation methods is UbiClear compatible with?
So far, the UbiClear kit has been successfully used on samples cleared using 10% formalin (or 4% PFA), and that is therefore the fixation method we recommend. It could be that clearing works well with other fixation solutions, yet we can’t guarantee that clearing efficiency will be similar.
