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.

A fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) observed with an Ivesta 3 stereo microscope during fly pushing (sorting of the flies). The scale bar length is 1 mm. Image courtesy of M. Benton, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany.

A Guide to Using Microscopy for Drosophila (Fruit Fly) Research

The fruit fly, typically Drosophila melanogaster, has been used as a model organism for over a century. One reason is that many disease-related genes are shared between Drosophila and humans. It is…

Example of calibrating a microscope at a higher magnification value using a stage micrometer.

Microscope Calibration for Measurements: Why and How You Should Do It

Microscope calibration ensures accurate and consistent measurements for inspection, quality control (QC), failure analysis, and research and development (R&D). Calibration steps are described in this…

A Guide to Zebrafish Research

To obtain optimal results while doing zebrafish research, especially during screening, sorting, handling, and imaging, seeing the fine details and structures is important. They help researchers make…

Example of a Leica stereo microscope, Ivesta 3, with integrated digital camera which can be used as a dissecting microscope.

Selecting the Right Dissecting Microscope

Learn how you can enhance dissection for life-science research and education with a microscope that ensures ergonomic comfort, high-quality optics, and easy access to the specimen.

Area of a printed circuit board (PCB) which was imaged with extended depth of field (EDOF) using digital microscopy.

Depth of Field in Microscope Images

For microscopy imaging, depth of field is an important parameter when needing sharp images of sample areas with structures having significant changes in depth. In practice, depth of field is…

Image of a Siemens star, where the diameter of the 1st black line circle is 10 mm and the 2nd is 20 mm, taken via an eyepiece of a M205 A stereo microscope. The rectangles represent the field of view (FOV) of a Leica digital camera when installed with various C-mounts (red 0.32x, blue 0.5x, green 0.63x).

Understanding Clearly the Magnification of Microscopy

To help users better understand the magnification of microscopy and how to determine the useful range of magnification values for digital microscopes, this article provides helpful guidelines.

Image of an onion flake taken with a basic Leica compound microscope after it was tested for resistance to fungus and mold growth following part 11 of the ISO 9022 standard.

ISO 9022 Standard Part 11 - Testing Microscopes with Severe Conditions

This article describes a test to determine the robustness of Leica microscopes to mold and fungus growth. The test follows the specifications of the ISO 9022 part 11 standard for optical instruments.

Stereo microscopes are often considered the workhorses of laboratories and production sites.

Key Factors to Consider When Selecting a Stereo Microscope

This article explains key factors that help users determine which stereo microscope solution can best meet their needs, depending on the application.

The principle of the FusionOptics technology: Of the two separate beam paths (1), one provides depth of field (2) and the other high resolution (3). In the brain, the two images of the sample are merged into a single, optimal 3D image (4).

What is the FusionOptics Technology?

Leica stereo microscopes with FusionOptics provide optimal 3D perception. The brain merges two images, one with large depth of field and the other with high resolution, into one 3D image.