Carl Zeiss has received a license from the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) for the commercialization of multidirectional selective plane illumination microscopy (mSPIM), an advanced illumination technique for light-sheet fluorescence microscopy.

A relatively new application, light-sheet fluorescence microscopy is well suited for live imaging of fluorescently labeled specimens up to millimeters in size. Specimens can be imaged for days under certain physiological conditions and with minimum photodamage.

Developed by Jan Huisken at UCSF, mSPIM reduces absorption and scattering artifacts and provides an evenly illuminated focal plane. By alternating illumination of the sample from multiple sides, the technique overcomes two common problems in light-sheet imaging techniques: shadowing effects in the excitation path and spreading of the light sheet by scattering in the sample.

The agreement grants Carl Zeiss the right to integrate mSPIM technology with its existing and future microscopy systems. The first commercial light-sheet fluorescence microscope (LSFM, also known as selective plane illumination microscope, or SPIM) for multidimensional, ultrafast and long-term time-lapse imaging of live specimens is being developed by the company. The licensing of mSPIM is expected to benefit diverse fields such as developmental biology, cell biology, neurobiology, stem cell research and marine biology.

For more information, visit: www.zeiss.com