descSPIM: An Affordable Light-Sheet Microscope

In the ever-evolving field of biomedical research, advanced imaging technologies play a crucial role in unraveling the complexities of biological systems. One such groundbreaking innovation is the descSPIM (desktop-equipped SPIM for cleared specimens), a low-cost, do-it-yourself light-sheet microscope designed to make high-resolution 3D imaging accessible to a broader range of researchers, as reported in Nature Communications.

This innovative tool is designed to work seamlessly with tissue clearing techniques, enabling researchers to visualize intricate details within biological specimens. For the microscopy construction, the group used our Cobolt Skyra multi-line laser in 488/515/561/647 nm.

This research is the result of a collaborative effort between the Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine of Tokyo, the University of Tokyo,  the National Cancer Center Hospital in Tokyo and the Scilife Lab at KTH in Stockholm.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of this tool is that it is tailored for biomedical researchers with minimal expertise in microscopy as detailed build instructions are provided on Git-HUB (https://github.com/dbsb-juntendo/descSPIM), thus democratising the process.

“We believe that descSPIM has the potential to revolutionize the field of tissue clearing by democratizing access to advanced light-sheet microscopy (…) By providing a simple, affordable, and user-friendly alternative to commercial light-sheet microscopes, descSPIM makes 3D tissue imaging accessible to all laboratories, regardless of technical expertise or funding levels. This accessibility has the potential to accelerate discoveries in a wide range of fields, including cancer research, neuroscience, and developmental biology.”

 SciLifeLab group leader Hjalmar Brismar