Education in Microscopy and Digital Imaging

Many of the speed limitations associated with point-scanning confocal microscopes can be overcome by imaging the specimen with multiple excitation beams operating in parallel. Spinning disk confocal microscopes are emerging as a powerful tool for rapid spatial and temporal imaging of living cells. Although the technique was originally introduced over 40 years ago, recent improvements in microscope optical design and camera technology have significantly expanded the versatility and potential of this approach. Among the most important aspects to understand about spinning disk confocal microscopy is that the these instruments are capable of acquiring thin optical sections from specimens in a manner similar to laser scanning confocal microscopes, only much faster. The digital videos in this gallery were acquired using a Yokogawa CSU-X1 spinning disk unit coupled to a ZEISS Axio Observer.