生物谷报道 欧洲生物学实验室（EMBL）的物理学专家发明了一种巧夺天工的显微镜，这种显微镜能使研究人员比以往更深入地观察生活着的有机体。毫无疑问，这项新技术将成为现代生物实验室中的一种标准设备。相关文章发表在8月13日的Science上。
这个显微镜叫做SPIM(选择性平面照明显微镜，Selective Plane Illumination Microsocopy)，它使研究人员第一次能够在真实的环境下从不同的角度研究活的体系，而且对样品的破坏非常小。
“多年来，我们看到目前的显微镜无法满足研究人员的需要。因此，我们和EMBL的生物学家一起设计了SPIM，并确保能完全符合他们的需要，”EMBL的专家Ernst Stelzer说。“这个新的显微镜容易构建，其成本是目前工艺的三分之一。精度提高5倍（improved resolution by a factor of about five）”
SPIM使研究人员能在一种模仿真实条件的介质中观察相对较大的样品（2－3毫米），而无需将样品切碎和将样品固定在玻片上（而玻片固定是目前所有显微镜技术必须的）。SPIM投射超薄的光层通过样本，移动通过超薄光层的样本形成每一层的图象。SPIM不会模糊光线，因此使样品的影像更为清晰锐利，而没有通常的背景影响。观察结束后，完整的样品还可以继续存活生长——这是目前的显微镜技术无法实现的。SPIM还因使用超薄层光（thin slices of light）“扫描”样品，而非全部聚焦整个样品，因而将光线造成的损伤最小化并有助于延续样品的生命。整个观测过程非常迅速，几分钟内就能获得详细的影像。为了进一步提高分辨率并校正偏差，SPIM能将样品进行旋转并再次扫描。不同观察角度的结合能产生一个无以伦比的三维图象。
博士生Jan Huisken认为SPIM是科学研究和显微镜领域的一个重大突破。Ernst Stelzer说，“这项工艺对发育生物学研究和三维细胞培养观察的意义尤其重大。利用SPIM，研究人员能获得其它方法得到的影像。”
欧洲分子生物学实验室EMBL的物理学家发明了一种新型显微镜，使得科学家能比以往更加深入地考察有机活体。这一新发明无疑将成为现代生物学实验室的标准设备，8月13日出版的最新一期《科学》周刊刊发文章描述了这种显微镜的诸多优点和应用。
这种新型显微镜名叫选择性平面照射显微镜(SPIM)，它第一次实现了让科学家在实际样本不受破坏的条件下从不同角度研究活的生命体系。
据主要设计人员之一Ernst Stelzer介绍，多年来科学界一直苦于现有的显微镜不能满足生物学研究的需要。现在EMBL的物理学家和生物学家共同合作，力求设计出的新型显微镜能够完全满足生物学家的需要。新显微镜易于组装，成本只及现有设备的1/3，分辨率却提高了5个数量级。
SPIM使得科学家能够在模拟实际状况的介质条件下观察较大样本(2mm～3mm)，而无需如操作传统显微镜那样，将样本切割或破坏后固定到载玻片上。它发出极细的一束光穿过样本，通过精心操纵样本在不同光平面中的移动，获取样本每一层的图像。聚焦区域以外没有其他光线，因此SPIM成像非常鲜明，没有通常的背景模糊现象。整个样本可以在显微镜下继续存活生长，这是使用现有显微镜无法做到的。通过采用细束的光而不是将整个样本瞬间置于强光照射之下，SPIM同时也减小了光致损害，使样本生命得以延长。拍摄过程也十分迅速，数分钟内就可获得详尽的照片。这种显微镜还可以通过调整视角进一步提高分辨率和修正失真，只需旋转样本再次扫描即可。EMBL的物理学家还完成了成像处理工作，通过不同视角图像的组合创建了独一无二的三维图像。
在EMBL的研究人员看来，SPIM的诞生对于基础研究和显微技术而言都是一个重要突破。因为它不仅比现有的显微技术更加强有力，而且为生物学家研究完整生物系统提供了锐利武器。Ernst Stelzer强调说，SPIM对于发育生物学研究和观察细胞的三维结构特别有价值，科学家藉此可以获得以往不可能得到的图像，因此它必将拓展人类科学研究的能力。
ORIGINAL TEXT：
New microscope gives scientists unparalleled, 3D views of living organisms
Physicists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have developed a state-of-the-art microscope that gives scientists a much deeper look into living organisms than ever before. The new technology will undoubtedly become a standard fixture in modern biology labs. Its many advantages and applications are described in the latest edition of Science (Aug 13, 2004).
Called SPIM (Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy), the technology allows scientists, for the first time, to study live systems from many different angles, under real conditions and with minimal disruption to the specimen.
"Over the years we've seen current microscopes falling short of what the scientists need. We designed SPIM with EMBL biologists to make sure that it was completely suited to their needs," says EMBL scientist Ernst Stelzer, whose group developed SPIM with the input of developmental biologists in the group led by Jochen Wittbrodt. "This new microscope is easy to build, is about one-third the cost of current technologies, and gives scientists improved resolution by a factor of about five."
SPIM allows scientists to view relatively large samples (2-3 mm) in a medium that mimics real conditions, rather than cutting-up and destroying the sample to fix it to a slide (as needed in traditional microscopy). SPIM shines a very thin slice of light through the sample and then systematically moves the specimen through the light sheet to capture images from each layer. No out-of-focus light is created, so SPIM gives a sharper image of the sample without the usual background blur. The whole sample can continue living and growing as it is viewed under the microscope, something that current microscopes do not allow.
SPIM also minimizes the amount of light-induced damage and extends the life of the sample, by using thin slices of light rather than illuminating the entire sample all at once. The entire procedure is extremely fast - detailed images can be acquired in minutes. To further improve the resolution and to correct for distortions that depend on the viewing direction, the sample can be rotated and scanned again. As a result of EMBL physicist Jim Swoger's work on image processing, the combination of the different views yields an unequaled three-dimensional (3D) image.
PhD student Jan Huisken from the Stelzer group, one of the developers of the technology, sees the creation of SPIM as a major breakthrough in both the scientific and microscopy communities. "Not only is this microscope simply more powerful than many existing technologies, but it also comes at the perfect time for biologists who need to study complete systems."
Ernst Stelzer emphasizes this aspect. "It is extremely valuable ?especially for studying developmental biology and for viewing 3D cell cultures. With SPIM, scientists can now capture images that would have otherwise been impossible. It enables completely new applications in scientific research."
About EMBL:
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a basic research institute funded by public research monies from 17 member states, including most of the EU, Switzerland and Israel. Research at EMBL is conducted by approximately 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of molecular biology. The Laboratory has five units: the main Laboratory in Heidelberg, and Outstations in Hinxton (the European Bioinformatics Institute), Grenoble, Hamburg, and Monterotondo near Rome. The cornerstones of EMBL's mission are: to perform basic research in molecular biology, to train scientists, students and visitors at all levels, to offer vital services to scientists in the member states, and to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences. EMBL抯 international PhD Programme has a student body of about 170. The Laboratory also sponsors an active Science and Society programme. Visitors from the press and public are welcome.
