Lattice light-sheet microscopy: Imaging molecules to embryos at high spatiotemporal resolution

TLDR

Three‑dimensional imaging of dynamic biological processes in living specimens is essential to understand life, but in vivo 3D imaging faces trade‑offs among resolution, speed, and phototoxicity. The authors present a microscope designed to overcome these trade‑offs in live 3D imaging. The system employs 2D optical lattice beams that distribute excitation across the field while suppressing out‑of‑focus light. The lattice light‑sheet approach speeds acquisition, lowers phototoxicity, and enables studies across 20 diverse biological systems from single‑molecule kinetics to embryonic development. Published in Science (10.1126/science.1257998).

Abstract

From single molecules to embryos in living color Animation defines life, and the three-dimensional (3D) imaging of dynamic biological processes occurring within living specimens is essential to understand life. However, in vivo imaging, especially in 3D, involves inevitable tradeoffs of resolution, speed, and phototoxicity. Chen et al. describe a microscope that can address these concerns. They used a class of nondiffracting beams, known as 2D optical lattices, which spread the excitation energy across the entire field of view while simultaneously eliminating out-of-focus excitation. Lattice light sheets increase the speed of image acquisition and reduce phototoxicity, which expands the range of biological problems that can be investigated. The authors illustrate the power of their approach using 20 distinct biological systems ranging from single-molecule binding kinetics to cell migration and division, immunology, and embryonic development. Science , this issue 10.1126/science.1257998