A new study showcases a microscope years in the making, licensed to University of Washington spinout Alpenglow Biosciences. The microscope enables researchers to peer into biological samples of all sizes and shapes in 3D and zoom into details quickly. Alpenglow partners with biopharma companies to image biological specimens.
The company focuses on analyzing three-dimensional samples that have been “cleared” with chemicals to easily visualize their components.
Researchers had previously developed a variety of microscopes for such samples, but most are not versatile enough to accommodate different specimen types and methods of clearing. The high-throughput instrument overcomes these limitations and automates the task, enabling analysis of tens of millions of cells.
The microscope was invented by UW researchers and Alpenglow co-founders Adam Glaser and Jonathan Liu and their colleagues. They developed a new type of lens and placed the objectives in unique positions that accommodate the microscope’s easy-to-use “open top” design.