Experience of using the two most popular fluoresce

Experience of using two fluorescence microscopes

when it comes to biology, you will think of cells with different shapes. But to observe the subtle changes of cell morphology, a cost-effective microscope is essential. Since levinhock invented the first optical microscope, the microscope has been constantly updated to meet the needs of observers. At present, the most commonly used biological cell culture is fluorescence microscope, which can be used to observe green, red and blue fluorescence. In addition, from the perspective of observing living cells and fixed cells, it can be divided into inverted microscope and upright microscope

first, let's talk about the fluorescent microscope of Olympus. The machine model I use is Olympus BX51

the reason why many people choose Olympus' fluorescent microscope is largely because their software design is quite humanized. This software has very powerful functions, from image shooting to image post-processing, to being affected by the paper industry's capacity reduction, G20 production suspension and production restriction, and the tide of environmental protection. It can meet a variety of shooting details you can think of and can't think of. In terms of image acquisition, the live image acquisition pixels of the software are relatively high, and the definition is also very good. In addition, it is also equipped with an image lock. However, due to the trouble of cleaning, it is convenient to lock the observation area and facilitate the acquisition of multiple photos. When preparing for shooting, you should first do a good job in the white balance of the photo, which is very important for any shooting. Olympus' fluorescence microscope has designed two white balance adjustment modes. In the white light mode, with a square focus frame of about 1cm as the center, selecting the peripheral one touch or peripheral block selection mode can easily complete the setting of white balance. In the fluorescence mode, the focus frame needs to be reduced to the fluorescence area before white balance correction can be carried out. In addition, the lens of his family is also quite clear, and it is also equipped with a live picture shooting mode, which supports animation shooting for a period of time. As long as the shooting time range is set and equipped with a culture box, the counting device can automatically count at the same time to realize the dynamic shooting of live cells. In terms of image processing, the functions are also relatively complete. You can add rulers, and you can also make the overlapping effect of multi-color pictures. Moreover, the interface is very friendly. Photographers who are not familiar with Photoshop will feel much more convenient if they have this software. It is said that Olympus' fluorescence microscope software sold very well in previous years, but in recent years, affected by piracy, the sales volume fell rapidly. After all, this software worth tens of thousands of dollars, in addition to its powerful functions, is also quite expensive. In order to reduce costs, many companies that sell fluorescent microscopes of Olympus often install pirated software for customers, which affects the sales of the software. Speaking of so many advantages, what are the disadvantages of Olympus' fluorescence microscope? I think it's the sharpness problem of images with more than 40 times, because the sharpness of observation will be affected by objects with more than 20 times. Although his family also provides lens switching mode, the effect improvement is not obvious. However, if you don't mind trying the oil lens, Olympus' fluorescence microscope provides a 100x objective lens, and the shooting effect after dripping oil can satisfy you. Even the small organelles in the cell and the fluorescent particles produced by transfection can sometimes be observed very clearly, which can provide good evidence support for the publication of the article. Therefore, before loading, 1 must tighten the oil return valve

another thing to say is the Leica fluorescence microscope we just added recently, the model is Leica DMI 300B

to be honest, I learned about this German brand product only recently, and the appearance of the product feels good. According to their engineers, their lenses are relatively cost-effective. In use, I also think the lens sharpness of his family can be regarded as the leader in low-cost products. And for those laboratories whose funds are not very sufficient, buying an inverted microscope can also ask the engineer to help make a small modification at the same time. It can be used as a dual-purpose machine, which is also a good choice. But there is a fatal weakness, that is, the software of his family is extremely difficult to use. Although it provides both Chinese and English interfaces, it has many disadvantages. First, the adjustment of white balance is relatively rough. In addition, it does not support the shooting of dynamic animation. In addition, the capture pixel of live image is too low, which often leads to the phenomenon of slow image display and inaccurate focal length. In the follow-up processing of images, there are very few functions, and we must use the help of Photoshop and other software, so I can only say that Leica fluorescence microscope is a device whose software and hardware do not match, and I personally do not recommend his software. If you want to install an Olympus software, the engineers in his family charge relatively high fees. Personally, I think it's a bit deceiving

the eye is the window of the soul, and the microscope is the soul carriage of biological workers, which can help us lead to more mysterious and unknown biological fields. We should not only know how to choose, but also how to drive this carriage, so as to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Good camera and good software are two powerful reins, one of which is indispensable. How to DIY a cost-effective microscopic observation equipment, my suggestion is to shop around, consider comprehensively, from cost to benefit, and then make a decision in line with its own positioning