Cleavable Light-Erased Antibody Reporter (CLEAR) Platform

About Cleavable Light-Erased Antibody Reporter (CLEAR) Platform

• Cleavable Light-Erased Antibody Reporter (CLEAR): It is a novel spatial protein imaging platform that enables visualization and mapping of a large number of proteins within the same sample.
• Developed by: The platform was developed by researchers at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• Working Mechanism:
  • Targeted Labelling: Scientists use CLEAR probes containing antibodies linked with fluorescent tags through a light-sensitive chemical bond to label proteins.
  • Image Capture: The labelled proteins are imaged under a microscope within the same spectral window.
  • Photolytic Erasing: A gentle pulse of 365 nm LED light removes the fluorescent signal by cleaving the chemical bond without damaging the sample.
  • Cyclic Rewriting: A new set of proteins is labelled and imaged repeatedly in the same optical window to generate detailed protein maps.
  • Detailed Mapping: Repeated imaging cycles create information-rich maps across cells and tissue sections.
• Key Features of CLEAR:
  • High-Plex Multiplexing: It enables visualization of a very large number of proteins within a single biological sample.
  • Live-Cell Compatibility: The gentle light-erasing process preserves delicate biological samples, including live cells.
  • High Spatial Resolution: It captures the precise spatial arrangement of proteins within tissues.
  • Speed and Simplified Imaging: The platform repeatedly uses a single fluorescent channel and reduces dependence on complex multi-laser imaging systems.
  • Chalkboard-Like Imaging: The platform repeatedly erases and rewrites fluorescent signals like a chalkboard using a single fluorophore.
• Significance: CLEAR can improve disease diagnosis, biomedical research, and precision medicine through comprehensive high-resolution protein mapping.