High-Resolution 3D Images of the Insides of a Fly

CREDIT: Vienna University of Technology View full size image

Scientists at the Vienna University of Technology have developed laser optics which support high-resolution 3D microscopy. Biological tissue needs to be made transparent to the laser beams for the technology to work. The sample is treated first and any water it contains is replaced with a fluid with different optical properties. This enables laser beams to penetrate deep into the sample. Laser light is shone through the sample layer by layer, with an image being taken each time, to create a detailed 3D image of the sample.

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