The Benchtop mesoSPIM: a compact and versatile open-source light-sheet microscope for imaging cleared tissues

Imaging technologies are becoming increasingly complex and ever more expensive, reducing the general accessibility and potential reach of cutting-edge techniques. The Special Edition Virtual Pub “Open Hardware in Imaging,” in collaboration with the Euro-BioImaging Industry Board, will highlight developments from scientists and companies who are committed to making biological & biomedical imaging hardware and software solutions openly available to a wide audience.

When: September 22, 2023, from 13:00-15:00 CEST

Where: Online

At this event, Nikita Vladimirov, University of Zurich, will present The Benchtop mesoSPIM: a compact and versatile open-source light-sheet microscope for imaging cleared tissues - (full abstract below). Hear this talk and others like it on September 22!

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ABSTRACT

The Benchtop mesoSPIM: a compact and versatile open-source light-sheet microscope for imaging cleared tissues

Nikita Vladimirov
University of Zurich

mesoSPIM is an open-source light-sheet microscopy project for imaging cleared tissues (http://mesospim.org/). Our goal is to develop and share knowledge on how to build and use your own facility-grade light-sheet microscope - compatible with all tissue clearing techniques, at affordable cost, with open-source hardware and software, thus making light-sheet imaging more accessible for biological and medical research.

Currently, there are over 20 mesoSPIM systems in operation around the world, with 8 of them at microscopy core facilities, used for a variety of cleared samples in neuroscience and developmental biology. We demonstrate a new-generation "Benchtop" mesoSPIM design, which offers multiple improvements over the original mesoSPIM: resolution of up to 1.5 µm laterally and 3.5 µm axially, magnification range 0.9-20x, a 1.5x larger field of view, 4x smaller footprint, at a cost of about 95k USD. The user-friendly control software allows for acquisitions with multiple tiles, channels, and angles at high speed.

We demonstrate several applications from neuroscience and developmental biology, as well as a novel use in physics. The microscope is designed as an open-source high-throughput system with a compact footprint, affordable cost, and assembly instructions aimed at non-experts.