New accessible microscope design opens up understanding of bio-molecules

Scientists have used the UK’s Central Laser Facility (CLF) to develop a new design for a cheaper, more flexible microscope that will give microbiologists a greater insight into how single bio-molecules such as nucleic acids and proteins behave.

The new microscope design will give scientists in labs everywhere a blueprint for detecting the actions and movements of single molecules at a fraction of the price of commercially-available equipment. Making the specialist equipment more readily available will offer more opportunities for improved drug discovery for diseases such as cancer, HIV-AIDS, and COVID-19.

The microscope, called the smfBox, allows scientists to look at one molecule at a time rather than generating an average result from bulk samples and works as well as commercially available instruments.

The researchers, building on the original smfBox concept developed by a team of academics and undergraduate students at the University of Sheffield, hope to expand the use of single-molecule imaging by giving the wider scientific community detailed build instructions and open-source software to operate the easy-to-use microscope without the need to invest in expensive infrastructure.

The project was a collaboration between the University of Sheffield and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Octopus laser system at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.

CLF Octopus link scientist Benji Batemen said:

“The smFRET microscope can be easily deployed as a powerful standalone diagnostic instrument or as a complementary technique to many other single-molecule studies. This will enable researchers to better understand molecular interactions and movements at the bio-molecular level, driving advances in drug discovery and helping to tackle global challenges such the HIV epidemic and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.“

The design for the new instrument could see a wide range of laboratories using the imaging technique for new applications at a tenth of the cost of commercially available equipment. The interdisciplinary team developed equipment at a cost of £40,000 that would usually cost around £400,000.

The simplicity of the microscope design is intended to allow scientists unfamiliar with the technique to use the equipment without extensive training. The open-source software means that its applications can be adapted easily for different purposes.

CLF Octopus group leader Professor Marisa Martin-Fernandez said:

“Here at Octopus an important aspect of our work is to facilitate non-expert, automated access to advanced imaging equipment, to assist endeavors at the interface of life sciences and physical sciences interface. This remarkable achievement is part of these efforts.”

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