Carl
Zeiss has received a license from the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) for the commercialization of "Multidirectional Selective Plane
Illumination Microscopy" (mSPIM),
an advanced illumination technique for light sheet fluorescence microscopy.
Light sheet fluorescence
microscopy is a relatively new application for the life sciences. It is ideally suited for live imaging of fluorescently labeled specimens
up to millimeters in size. Specimens can
be imaged for days under certain physiological conditions and with minimum
photo-induced damage.
The mSPIM technique was developed by Dr. Jan Huisken at UCSF. It reduces absorption
and scattering artifacts and provides an evenly illuminated focal plane. By alternating illumination of the sample
from multiple sides, mSPIM overcomes two common problems in light sheet imaging
techniques: shadowing effects in the excitation path and spreading of the light
sheet by scattering in the sample.
The agreement grants Carl Zeiss
the right to integrate the mSPIM technology in its microscopy systems. The
first commercial light sheet fluorescence microscope (LSFM, also known as "selective
plane illumination microscope" or "SPIM") for multidimensional, ultrafast and
long-term timelapse imaging of live specimens is currently being developed at
Carl Zeiss in Germany.
Together
with Carl Zeiss' innovative concepts for light sheet microscopy, the licensing of
mSPIM represents another big step forward in 3D microscopy of living specimens. This benefits diverse fields such as
developmental biology, cell biology, neurobiology, stem cell research and
marine biology.
For more information visit
www.zeiss.com
