Science Lab

The knowledge portal of Leica Microsystems offers scientific research and teaching material on the subjects of microscopy. The content is designed to support 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!

Microscopy in Virology

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the Covid-19 disease effects our world in all aspects. Research to find immunization and treatment methods, in other words to fight this virus, gained highest…

Nanoscopy meets Lifetime: Introducing TauSTED

TauSTED combines the optical signals from STED and the photophysical information from the fluorescence lifetime at unprecedented speeds. This approach to STED uses phasor analysis in a novel way.…

New Light Shed on the Nanodomain Organization of the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a continuous membrane organelle in charge of protein synthesis, lipid synthesis and detoxification. The ER structure is described in terms of smooth peripheral…

The Guide to STED Sample Preparation

This guide is intended to help users optimize sample preparation for stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy, specifically when using the TCS SP8 STED 3X nanoscope from Leica Microsystems. It…

Extending Nanoscopy Possibilities with STED and exchangeable fluorophores

When it comes to STED Nanoscopy, keeping high signal-to-noise is key to achieve the best possible resolution in fixed and living cells. This can be challenging in the case of experiments in 3D and/or…

See More Than Just Your Image

Despite the emergence of new imaging methods in recent years, true 3D resolution is still achieved by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). Through a combination of novel, extremely fast scanning…

Simultaneously Measuring Image Features and Resolution in Live-Cell STED Images

Reliable interpretation and quantification of cellular features in fluorescence microscopy requires an accurate estimate of microscope resolution. This is typically obtained by measuring the image of…

Observing Malaria Infection at the Right Spot in the Human Host

Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes infected with protozoan parasites. The most common and dangerous type of malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium…

Super-resolved STED spectroscopy

Molecular interactions are key in cellular signalling. They are often ruled or rendered by the mobility of the involved molecules.