A high-resolution, easy-to-build light-sheet microscope for subcellular imaging
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Although several open-source, easy-to-assemble light-sheet microscope platforms already exist—such as mesoSPIM, OpenSPIM, and OpenSpin—they are optimized for imaging large specimens and lack the resolution required to visualize sub-cellular features, such as organelles or cytoskeletal architectures. In contrast, Latice Light-Sheet Microscopy (LLSM) achieves the resolution necessary to resolve such fine structures but, in its open-source implementation, can be alignment- and maintenance-intensive, often requiring specialist expertise. To address this gap, we developed Altair-LSFM, a high-resolution, open-source, sample-scanning light-sheet microscope specifically designed for sub-cellular imaging. By optimizing the optical pathway in silico, we created a custom baseplate that greatly simplifies alignment and assembly. The system integrates streamlined optoelectronics and optomechanics with seamless operation through our open-source software, navigate . Altair-LSFM achieves lateral and axial resolutions of approximately 235 nm and 350 nm, respectively, across a 266-micron field of view after deconvolution. We validate the system’s capabilities by imaging sub-diffraction fluorescent nanospheres and visualizing fine structural details in mammalian cells, including microtubules, actin filaments, nuclei, and Golgi apparatus. We further demonstrate its live-cell imaging capabilities by visualizing microtubules and vimentin intermediate filaments in actively migrating cells.
Source: eLife
Authors: John Haug, Seweryn Gałecki, Hsin-Yu Lin, Xiaoding Wang, Kevin M. Dean
Language: English
Subfield: Biophysics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
OpenAlex ID: W4409323234