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Astrocytes, essential components of the central nervous system (CNS), perform diverse functions such as providing structural support, maintaining ion homeostasis, forming a glial scar after injury, contributing to the blood-brain barrier, and providing neuroprotection, tasks that are critical to proper CNS function. Astrocytes comprise of the soma with radially arranged extendable processes. They display distinctive morphological characteristics to perform their specific functions successfully. Abnormalities in astrocyte morphology have been linked to various neurological disorders. Despite their acknowledged significance, our comprehension of astrocytes remains incomplete, particularly regarding their intricate morphology. In the past, astrocytes were visualized using fluorescence microscopy. Using dye has several disadvantages, including increased chances of photobleaching, perturbations to the system, and not allowing continuous monitoring. This greatly limits the amount of morphological information that can be extracted. To address these challenges, we utilized quantitative phase imaging (QPI), a label-free imaging method that produces 2D and 3D refractive index profiles, allowing us to extract and quantify a plethora of morphological information. In our study, we investigated the impact of silicon nanowire (SiNW) substrates on rat cortical astrocyte morphology, aiming to understand how this substrate influences astrocyte morphology compared to traditional glass substrates. The novelty lies in utilizing QPI to image astrocytes on nanostructured substrates such as SiNW substrates. Astrocytes cultured on SiNW substrates displayed a “star-like” morphology typically found in vivo. This leads to several opportunities for future studies such as quantification of morphological features of astrocytes on SiNW substrates.
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