descSPIM: an affordable and easy-to-build light-sheet microscope optimized for tissue clearing techniques

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Microscopy
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Tissue clearing techniques are increasingly adopted in biomedical research.
• Limited access to specialized light-sheet fluorescence microscopes hinders widespread use.
• A bottleneck exists in making advanced imaging accessible to researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present descSPIM, a low-cost, low-expertise desktop light-sheet microscope.
• To provide a practical do-it-yourself solution for imaging cleared specimens.
• To overcome the accessibility limitations of current light-sheet microscopy.

Main Methods:

• Development of a desktop-equipped Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) system.
• Designed for ease of installation (one day by non-experts) and operation.
• Utilizes an open-source design for academic dissemination.

Main Results:

• The descSPIM enables multi-color 3D imaging of whole mouse brains and xenograft tumors.
• Demonstrates visualization of neurocircuitry, drug distribution, and 3D pathological examination (H&E staining).
• Routine 3D imaging of cleared samples is achieved in minutes.

Conclusions:

• The descSPIM microscope significantly lowers the barrier to entry for advanced tissue clearing.
• Its affordability and ease of use democratize 3D imaging capabilities.
• Dissemination of descSPIM is expected to accelerate biomedical discoveries utilizing tissue clearing technologies.