Slide Shows | Technology

New Microscope Enables Real-Time 3-D Movies of Developing Embryos [Slide Show]

A European lab combines "light sheet" microscopy with an illumination process that subtracts the static caused by scattered photons to devise a way to clearly observe the inner workings of cells over a period of days

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Nuclear Proliferation
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Nuclear Proliferation

Using a fluorescent microscopy technique that allows long viewing times and exceptionally clear images, scientists can now track each cell in a growing embryo, creating a digital model of development....[More]

Micro Matrix
thumb: Micro Matrix

Micro Matrix

Twelve hours after fertilization the cells have arranged themselves in a pattern that is just beginning to resemble the body they will become....[More]

Dividing to Multiply
thumb: Dividing to Multiply

Dividing to Multiply

The nuclei in these images are color-coded according the direction they are traveling. After a cell divides the daughter cells go in separate directions, appearing as streaks of different colors moving away from one another....[More]

Half-and-Half
thumb: Half-and-Half

Half-and-Half

The raw data used to build the digital model [ right hemisphere ] are matched up with the model [ left hemisphere ] at about five, six, 10 and 14 hours after fertilization....[More]

See-Through Flies
thumb: See-Through Flies

See-Through Flies

The latest breakthrough, published in Nature Methods , is the addition of structured illumination to light sheet microscopy. This allows biologists to subtract out static from scattered photons and get clear pictures of samples that are largely opaque, like the highly opaque fruit fly embryo shown here at 3.2 and 4.85 hours after fertilization....[More]

Fly-by-Light
thumb: Fly-by-Light

Fly-by-Light

The early development of the fruit fly is shown at 3.2, 4.85, 8.15, and 11 hours after fertilization. The light sheet microscope technology has been licensed to optics company Carl Zeiss, but until a commercial version hits the market, biologists looking to try the technique will have to build the scopes themselves....[More]

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3 Comments

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  1. 1. mifenghuayuan 04:46 AM 9/2/10

    A perfect technology!

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  2. 2. Johnay in reply to mifenghuayuan 10:20 AM 9/2/10

    No, just better. I'm sure it can still be improved upon.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  3. 3. Johnay 10:22 AM 9/2/10

    The video says it's unavailable. There's something to improve right there. :)

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
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