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.

Investigating Synapses in Brain Slices with Enhanced Functional Electron Microscopy

A fundamental question of neuroscience is: what is the relationship between structural and functional properties of synapses? Over the last few decades, electrophysiology has shed light on synaptic…

Improvement of Imaging Techniques to Understand Organelle Membrane Cell Dynamics

Understanding cell functions in normal and tumorous tissue is a key factor in advancing research of potential treatment strategies and understanding why some treatments might fail. Single-cell…

Ion Beam Milling Guide: Enhancing Surface Quality for High-Resolution Imaging and Analysis

In this article you can learn how to optimize the preparation quality of your samples by using the ion beam etching method with the EM TIC 3X ion beam milling machine. A short introduction of the…

Essential Guide to Ultramicrotomy

When studying samples, to visualize their fine structure with nanometer scale resolution, most often electron microscopy is used. There are 2 types: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which images the…

EM Sample Preparation Coating, Etching and Fracturing

Sample Preparation for EM: A Practical Guide to Coating and Freeze-Fracturing

From coatings done in a low-vacuum sputter coating machine at room-temperature to those done in high-vacuum and even at cryogenic temperatures, Leica coating solutions cover a large range of needs.…

Advancing Cell Biology with Cryo-Correlative Microscopy

Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) advances biological discoveries by merging different microscopes and imaging modalities to study systems in 4D. Combining fluorescence microscopy with…

Consumables for Laser Microdissection

There are many different types of consumables for laser microdissection (LMD) systems. They cover a wide range of applications from basic to highly specialized, enabling scientists to choose their own…

How FLIM Microscopy Helps to Detect Microplastic Pollution

The use of autofluorescence in biological samples is a widely used method to gain detailed knowledge about systems or organisms. This property is not only found in biological systems, but also…

High-pressure freezing: Revealing functional mechanisms of synaptic transmission

Learn more about applying optogenetic stimulation in the EM ICE and how this technology has the potential to reveal structural and functional mechanisms of synaptic transmission. Get a detailed…