Services

Array Tomography Core (LPS-AT)

Presentation

Array Tomography Core offers a high-resolution imaging service using the  Array Tomography methodology. This methodology allows to overcome the resolution limit of optical microscopy and to study small structures such as synapses. High experience in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.

Services

Methodology:

  • Inclusion of the samples in LR White resin.
  • Sectioning of brain tissue samples at 70 nm (25-30 consecutive sections).
  • Multicolor immunofluorescence (3 colours). The user must provide the primary antibody of the interested protein. The service will provide the synaptic markers.
  • Acquisition of images with a lateral resolution of <500 nm (confocal microscopy).
  • 3D reconstruction of the images at high axial resolution (70 nm).

Responsibles

Contact mail: ssirisi@santpau.cat

default-member
Sonia Sirisi Dolcet

Scientific Responsible / Technical Responsible

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Soraya Torres Alcala

Manager Responsible

Experience and Trajectory

The Neurobiology of Dementia group has an established research line focused on the study of synaptic alterations in different neurodegenerative diseases using super-resolution techniques, which require sample sectioning with an ultramicrotome.

Projects:

  • FUND TATIANA 2022. Estudio de la patología sináptica de Tau mediante Array Tomography y microscopia de superresolución IP: Alberto Lleó i Sònia Sirisi Dolcet
  • COEN5025 NANOSYN: Unravelling synaptic pathology in Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies using super-resolution microscopy. IP: Alberto Lleó.
  • PI17/01896: Aplicación de Tomografía de Array (AT) para el estudio sistemático a gran escala del daño sináptico en las demencias neurodegenerativas. IP: Alberto Lleó.
  • PI18/00327: Estudio multimodal de nuevos biomarcadores sinápticos en cohortes de la enfermedad de Alzheimer y la demencia frontotemporal. IP: Olivia Belbin.

The results of our studies have been published in high-impact scientific journals:

  • Sánchez-Aced É, Moya-Llamas B, Aumatell Escabias J, Torres S, Colom-Cadena M, Pegueroles J, de Quintana-Schmidt C, Bayés À, Molina-Porcel L, Aldecoa I, Belbin O, Fortea J, Spires-Jones T, Pujals S, Sirisi S, Lleó A. Enhancing Lateral Resolution Using Two-Colour Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy to Unravel Synaptic Tau Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2025 Apr;51(2):e70010. doi: 10.1111/nan.70010. PMID: 40025904.
  • Colom-Cadena M, Davies C, Sirisi S, Lee JE, Simzer EM, Tzioras M, Querol-Vilaseca M, Sánchez-Aced É, Chang YY, Holt K, McGeachan RI, Rose J, Tulloch J, Wilkins L, Smith C, Andrian T, Belbin O, Pujals S, Horrocks MH, Lleó A, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic oligomeric tau in Alzheimer's disease - A potential culprit in the spread of tau pathology through the brain. Neuron. 2023 Jul 19;111(14):2170-2183.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.020. Epub 2023 May 15. PMID: 37192625.
  • Querol-Vilaseca M, Colom-Cadena M, Pegueroles J, Nuñez-Llaves R, Luque-Cabecerans J, Muñoz-Llahuna L, Andilla J, BELBIN O, Spires-Jones TL, Gelpi E, Clarimon J, Loza-Alvarez P, Fortea J, LLEÓ A. Nanoscale structure of amyloid-β plaques in Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 26;9(1):5181.
  • Colom-Cadena M, Pegueroles J, Herrmann AG, Henstridge CM, Muñoz L, Querol-Vilaseca M, Martín-Paniello CS, Luque-Cabecerans J, Clarimon J, BELBIN O, Núñez-Llaves R, Blesa R, Smith C, McKenzie C-A, Frosch MP, Roe A, Fortea J, Andilla J, Loza-Alvarez P, Gelpi E, Hyman BT, Spires-Jones TL, LLEÓ A. Synaptic phosphorylated α-synuclein in dementia with Lewy bodies. Brain. 2017;140:3204–3214.
  • Lleó A, Núñez-Llaves R, Alcolea D, Chiva C, Balateu-Paños D, Colom-Cadena M, Gomez-Giro G, Muñoz L, Querol-Vilaseca M, Pegueroles J, Rami L, Lladó A, Molinuevo JL, Tainta M, Clarimón J, Spires-Jones T, Blesa R, Fortea J, Martínez-Lage P, Sánchez-Valle R, Sabidó E, Bayés À, BELBIN O (CA). Changes in Synaptic Proteins Precede Neurodegeneration Markers in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease Cerebrospinal Fluid. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2019 Mar;18(3):546-560.

Equipment

Equipment or apparatus in the performance of the service:

  • Ultramicrotom LEICA EM UC7
  • Glass knife manufacturing equipment LEICA EM KMR3