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.

Image: Adult rat brain. Neurons (Alexa Fluor488, green), Astrocytes (GFAP, red), Nuclei (DAPI, blue). Image courtesy of Prof. En Xu, Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China.

Multicolor Microscopy: The Importance of Multiplexing

The term multiplexing refers to the use of multiple fluorescent dyes to examine various elements within a sample. Multiplexing allows related components and processes to be observed in parallel,…

A New Method for Convenient and Efficient Multicolor Imaging

The technique combining hyperspectral unmixing and phasor analysis was developed to simplify the process of getting images from a sample labeled with multiple fluorophores. This aggregate method…

Considerations for Multiplex Live Cell Imaging

Simultaneous multicolor imaging for successful experiments: Live-cell imaging experiments are key to understand dynamic processes. They allow us to visually record cells in their living state, without…

HeLa Kyoto cells (HKF1, H2B-mCherry, alpha Tubulin, mEGFP). Left image: Maximum projection of a z-stack prior to ICC and LVCC. Right image: Maximum projection of a mosaic z-stack after ICC and LVCC.

How to Improve Live Cell Imaging with Coral Life

For live-cell CLEM applications, light microscopy imaging is a critical step for identifying the right cell in the right state at the right time. In this article, Leica experts share their insights on…

A Guide to Darkfield Microscopes

A darkfield microscope offers a way to view the structures of many types of biological specimens in greater contrast without the need of stains.

Mouse kidney section with Alexa Fluor™ 488 WGA, Alexa Fluor™ 568 Phalloidin, and DAPI. Sample is a FluoCells™ prepared slide #3 from Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA. Images courtesy of Dr. Reyna Martinez – De Luna, Upstate Medical University, Department of Ophthalmology.

The Power of Pairing Adaptive Deconvolution with Computational Clearing

Learn how deconvolution allows you to overcome losses in image resolution and contrast in widefield fluorescence microscopy due to the wave nature of light and the diffraction of light by optical…

Studying Pulmonary Fibrosis

The results shown in this article demonstrate that fibrotic and non-fibrotic regions of collagen present in mouse lung tissue can be distinguished better with polarized light compared to brightfield.…

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…