Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: WIPO "tomato" A method of imaging an expanded cell or tissue sample using brightfield microscopy is provided. The method includes permeating a cell or tissue sample with a gelling solution, polymerizing the gelling solution to produce a water-swellable polymer containing the sample, softening the water-swellable polymer containing the sample to produce a softened water-swellable polymer containing the sample, swelling the water-swellable polymer of the softened water-swellable polymer containing the sample to produce an expanded sample gel, contracting the expanded sample gel to produce a contracted sample gel, staining the contracted sample gel in a staining solution including a water-soluble dye and an aqueous staining buffer to produce a stained and expanded sample gel, and imaging the stained and expanded sample gel using a brightfield microscope.