Lattice LightSheet

Lattice LightSheet uses ultra-thin sheets of light to image 3D cellular dynamics for hundreds of volumes at dozens of frames per second at diffraction-limited resolution and super-resolution. Invented by Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Betzig of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, this microscope has been applied to biological systems spanning four orders of magnitude in space and time. An extremely sensitive primary objective coupled with a custom-designed illumination system allows optical sectioning using extremely low light doses for imaging with unprecedented duration. 3D experiments previously limited by phototoxicity in just seconds or minutes can now be continued safely for hours or days. The combination of high spatiotemporal resolution, speed and sensitivity make the Lattice LightSheet the ultimate tool in a new era for living cell microscopy.

Early successful applications of this instrument include the diffusion of single transcription factors in a spheroid of stem cells, 3D dynamic instability of microtubules during mitosis, formation of the immunological synapse in T cell/antigen presenting cell (APC) interactions, neutrophil motility in a 3D matrix, and embryogenesis in C elegans and Drosophila melanogaster.