Science Lab

Learn. Share. Contribute. The knowledge portal of Leica Microsystems. Find scientific research and teaching material on the subject of microscopy. The portal supports beginners, experienced practitioners and scientists alike in their everyday work and experiments. Explore interactive tutorials and application notes, discover the basics of microscopy as well as high-end technologies. Become part of the Science Lab community and share your expertise.

Why is Manual Visual Inspection of Medical Devices so Challenging?

This article discusses how manual visual inspection, which is prevalent in the medical device industry, can lead to inconsistent results. It also addresses the challenges quality managers and…

Mouse lymphnode acquired with a THUNDER Imager 3D Cell Culture. Image courtesy of Dr. Selina Keppler, Munich, Germany.

Image Gallery: THUNDER Imager

To help you answer important scientific questions, THUNDER Imagers eliminate the out-of-focus blur that clouds the view of thick samples when using camera-based fluorescence microscopes. They achieve…

Mouse retina was fixed and stained by following reagents: anti-CD31 antibody (green): Endothelia cells, IsoB4 (red): Blood vessels, and microglia anti-GFAP antibody (blue): Astrocytes Sample courtesy by Jeremy Burton, PhD and Jiyeon Lee, PhD, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, USA. Imaged by Olga Davydenko, PhD (Leica). Imaged with a THUNDER Imager 3D Cell Culture.

An Introduction to Computational Clearing

Many software packages include background subtraction algorithms to enhance the contrast of features in the image by reducing background noise. The most common methods used to remove background noise…

How To Create EDOF (Extended Depth of Focus) Images

Watch this video to see how you can rapidly record sharp optical microscope images of samples with a large height variation. This is done with the optional Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) function of…

HeLa cell spheroid stained with Alexa Fluor 568 Phalloidin (Actin) and YOYO 1 iodide (Nucleus).

Real Time Images of 3D Specimens with Sharp Contrast Free of Haze

THUNDER Imagers deliver in real time images of 3D specimens with sharp contrast, free of the haze or out-of-focus blur typical of widefield systems. They can even image clearly places deep inside a…

Comparison when observing a rodent model organism with a Greenough versus CMO (common main objective) stereo microscope for a task like surgery.

Rodent and Small-Animal Surgery

Learn how you can perform rodent (mouse, rat, hamster) and small-animal surgery efficiently with a microscope for developmental biology and medical research applications by reading this article.

Transgenic zebrafish larva where fluorescent proteins label the heart muscle blue, blood and blood vessels red, and all circulatory system cells green. Image recorded with a M205 FA microscope.

Imaging and Analyzing Zebrafish, Medaka, and Xenopus

Discover how to image and analyze zebrafish, medaka, and Xenopus frog model organisms efficiently with a microscope for developmental biology applications from this article.

Fluorescence stereo microscope image of anesthetized Mediterranean fruit flies recorded with a M205 stereo microscope.

Investigating Fruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster)

Learn how to image and investigate Drosophila fruit fly model organisms efficiently with a microscope for developmental biology applications from this article.

Studying Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans)

Find out how you can image and study C. elegans roundworm model organisms efficiently with a microscope for developmental biology applications from this article.