By Caren B. Les, News Editor[email protected] Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the workhorse of biological analysis, is used in areas ranging from criminal investigations and disease diagnosis to biological research. Sometimes referred to as “molecular photocopying,” it is the test, for example, that determines whether a strand of hair found at a crime scene matches that of a certain suspect. The technique, which incorporates optical components and fluorescence, uses a heat-resistant DNA polymerase from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus to accurately replicate manifold small segments of DNA for genetic and molecular...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaArticlesFreeform Illuminators Spur Computational Microscopy Efficiency GainsTo further the use of programmable illumination for computational microscopy methods, researchers at the University of Connecticut constructed, calibrated, and tested freeform illuminators in...Vision-Spectra.com March 2023 IssueSPAD Elevates Spatiotemporal Resolution in Conventional MicroscopesImage scanning microscopy (ISM), a superresolution technique enabled by the advent of fast and compact detector arrays, provides signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), optical sectioning, and spatial...Photonics.com 2/23/2024Video Tech Enables Imaging Through Scattering MediaResearchers from Rice University and University of Maryland have created full-motion video technology that could enable cameras to peer through fog, smoke, driving rain, murky water, skin, bone, and...Photonics.com 7/4/2023Center for Photonics in Infection Research to Open in JenaGermany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the establishment of the Leibniz Centre for Photonics in Infection Research (LPI) at the Jena University Hospital. The center...BioPhotonics Jan/Feb 2024 IssueProductsOptical Stereo MicroscopesThe third-generation range of Mantis ergonomic optical stereo microscopes from Vision Engineering Ltd. feature improved optics for hand-to-eye coordination and depth perception. The microscopes...BioPhotonics Sep/Oct 2023 IssueZoom Microscope LensThe BS-1085 4K Apochromatic Monocular Zoom Microscope Lens from BestScope International Ltd. features an adopted apochromatic optical system. The ultrahigh-resolution, 4K apochromatic monocular...Photonics.com 9/8/2022Compact UV LaserThe Spectra-Physics® Vanguard™ One™ UV125 from MKS Instruments Inc. is a compact UV laser designed for bio-instrumentation applications. The laser delivers >125 mW of UV...Photonics.com 6/29/20234K Digital MicroscopeThe TAGARNO T50 from TAGARNO is a 4K digital microscope that uses Sony ISS’s FCB-ER9500 camera. The collaboration allows for a digital microscope that can capture live images at 60 fps. The...BioPhotonics Jan/Feb 2024 IssuePhotonics Handbook ArticlesDetectors: CCDs for Life-Science ApplicationsSince their invention in the late 1960s, charge-coupled devices, also called CCDs, have found widespread use in imaging applications. Electronic cameras based on CCD technology are used in...Photonics HandbookNanopositioning: A Step AheadBy its original definition, a nanopositioning device is a mechanism capable of repeatedly delivering motion in increments as small as one nanometer. Lately demands from industry and research have...Photonics HandbookLight-Emitting Diodes: A PrimerThe wavelength range of commercially available LEDs with single-element output power of at least 5 mW is 275 to 950 nm. Each wavelength range is made from a specific semiconductor material family,...Photonics HandbookDetectors: The Charge Injection AlternativeCharged-injection device imagers are metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) detectors that can be fabricated using PMOS, NMOS and CMOS integrated circuit technology, and may be configured as a...Photonics HandbookWhite PapersSub 50 Femtosecond Pulse Lasers for Gentler Multiphoton MicroscopyFinding the ideal ultra-fast laser source for a multiphoton imaging setup is not trivial. It is a fine balance between peak power, pulse energy and laser wavelength. In this white paper we show that...Photonics.com 12/8/2022Rapid Automated Modular MicroscopeOverview of Rapid Automated Modular Microscope.Photonics.com 2/16/2024Clean, New Bioenergy Sources: One Molecule at a TimeResearchers at Penn State University are spearheading a multidisciplinary research effort to explore ways to produce bioethanol more efficiently from lignocellulose. Importantly, this is not corn...Photonics.com 10/19/2023Positioning at the Nanoscale (and Below): Trust in Proven PerformanceThrough a deep knowledge of sensing technologies, technically adept personnel, and experience across applications as diverse as astronomy to live cell imaging, Mad City Labs helps our customers...Photonics.com 10/19/2022WebinarsDigital Chemical Histopathology: Fast Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging Provides Practical SolutionsHistopathology underpins many diagnostic tests and research in solid tissues. The recognition of important tissue structures and disease progression is typically conducted by examining morphology and...Photonics.com 10/25/2023Biophotonic Imaging for Medicine: A Digital ConferenceResearchers from around the world presented their latest work at “Biophotonic Imaging for Medicine: A Digital Conference.” Presentations focused on a range of light-based imaging and...Photonics.com 6/11/2015How Advancements in CMOS Technology Stimulate DiscoveryAntony van Leeuwenhoek, a 15th century fabric merchant and haberdasher from Delft, with an insatiable curiosity and an unusual skill at crafting lenses, is renowned as one of the founders of...Photonics.com 10/26/2023What’s New in Solid-State Illumination for Optical Microscopy?Solid-state, white-light illumination is furthering the capabilities and lifetimes of analytical instruments. Life and material sciences alike benefit from performance enhancements conferred to...Photonics.com 12/1/2020Photonics Dictionary Termslabel-freeLabel-free refers to a technique or method that does not require the use of additional labels, tags, or markers to detect or identify specific components or entities. In various scientific and...Photonics Dictionaryrecombinase polymerase amplificationRecombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a molecular biology technique used to rapidly amplify specific DNA or RNA sequences under isothermal conditions, meaning it does not require the...Photonics Dictionarylab-on-a-chipA lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single, compact chip. Also known as microfluidic devices, lab-on-a-chip systems are...Photonics DictionaryantigenAn antigen is any substance that is capable of triggering an immune response in an organism. Antigens are typically proteins or large polysaccharides, although other types of molecules can also act...Photonics DictionaryMediapco - Frequency Domain Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy - A Hands-On SessionThis hands-on session about FD-FLIM by Gerhard Holst from PCO AG was given as part of the FLIM Symposium "Beginners Guide to Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging in Life Sciences".Photonics.com 10/12/2021New ZL41 Cell & Sona sCMOS - Easy, Flexible, Cost-Effective Super Resolution Microscopy - Andor TechnologyEasy and Cost-Effective Super-Resolution to ~100 nm. Andor has introduced two new highly innovative sCMOS cameras, both delivering easy and cost-effective access to super-resolution capabilities and...Photonics.com 11/20/2023Brand Refresh -- New Image, Company Name, Website, and Email Address - DayOpticsTo celebrate this milestone, we've created a video showcasing the journey to the new design. We invite everyone to #joinus and watch the video now! The new DayOptics image is a testament to our...Photonics.com 8/14/2023DayOptics Spirit--All is For Offering the Best Lenses to YouFor more information, please follow our SOCIALS: Linkedin YoutubeFacebook Twitter Website EmailPhotonics.com 8/24/2023Photonics Buyers' Guide CategoriesRadiography EquipmentBioluminescence EquipmentElectroforming ServicesIndustrial TelescopesCompaniesOZ Optics LimitedEstablished in 1985, OZ Optics is a leading worldwide supplier of fiber optic components, test equipment and sensors. OZ Optics manufactures its products in three locations, Ottawa (Canada),...Photonics Buyers' GuideOhara CorporationOHARA manufactures more than 130 environmentally safe optical glass types, free of both lead and arsenic. More than 300 tons of optical glass are melted per month, available in the following forms of...Photonics Buyers' GuideLaservision USALASER SAFETY • Eyewear • Barriers • Windows • Training laservision USA designs and manufactures a comprehensive assortment of custom-made laser safety eyewear that attenuates...Photonics Buyers' GuideOptikos CorporationThe Optical Engineering Experts® Optikos designs and manufactures metrology products for measuring and assuring optical image quality; and provides optical engineering design, development,...Photonics Buyers' Guide