The Mesolens is a giant microscope objective designed for computer data acquisition rather than the human eye. It arose from a realization in the early days of confocal microscopy that confocal images could not be obtained of large specimens, because the available low magnification objectives had too poor a resolution in depth.
We have created with an unprecedented numerical aperture of nearly 0.5 at a magnification of 4x. This results in a field size of 6 mm, with a working distance of 3 mm, and the possibility to resolve sub-cellular detail throughout this large volume in x, y and z.
Funded by the Medical Research Council 'Next Generation Optical Microscopy Initiative' and supported by the NC3Rs, BBSRC and the Leverhulme Trust, we have created an imaging technology centre around the Mesolens called the Mesolab. If you would like to discuss collaborative research opportunities, please contact us.
Magnification: 4x
Numerical aperture: 0.47
Image volume: 6 mm x 6 mm x 3 mm
Measured resolution at 550 nm: 0.7 microns lateral, 7 microns axial
Immersion fluid: water, glycerol, Type DF oil
Imaging modes: camera (brightfield, darkfield, widefield epi-fluorescence), confocal laser scanning (fluorescence, reflection, differential phase contrast)
Excitation wavelengths for fluorescence imaging: LEDs from 365 nm to 660 nm for widefield epi-fluorescence imaging, lasers from 405 nm to 640 nm for confocal laser-scanning mesoscopy
Detectors: high pixel number camera for bright field and widefield epi-fluorescence imaging, photomultipliers (3-channel) for confocal laser-scanning mesoscopy
Other lasers and photodetectors are available upon request.
is a Visiting Professor to the University of Strathclyde from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and is a Director of Mesolens Ltd. A biologist and designer of optical instruments, together with John White, Mick Fordham and Richard Durbin he developed the point-scanning confocal microscope which is now commonplace in biomedicine.
McConnell G, Tragardh J, Amor R, Reid E, Dempster J, Amos WB. A novel optical microscope for imaging large embryos and tissue volumes with sub-cellular resolution throughout. eLife 5:e18659 (2016). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.18659
McConnell G and Amos WB. Application of the Mesolens for subcellular resolution imaging of intact larval and whole adult Drosophila. Journal of Microscopy 270 (2): 252-258 (2018). DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12693
For more information about the Mesolab, the Mesolens, or to enquire about collaborative research or employment opportunities please contact us on the email address below.