A Framework for Designing Light Sheet Microscopes

The wondrous variations of light sheet microscope configurations — with all their acronyms, individual strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes expensive specialized equipment — can be daunting to navigate. "Know optics and know thy sample" is the guiding principle for unearthing the right light-sheet configuration for a given application. There is an interplay between the requirements of a sample or experiment and the physics that confines resolution and speed. Therefore, it is key to identify what is required from an instrument. Melissa Glidewell discusses how the physics stacks up and plays out when approaching light-sheet design and assessing the value of various configurations and the different tools that accompany and complement them.