DIY fluorescence microscope

[Andreas "Mega" Stuermer]

Hi guys, just wanted to share something. 

We have this UV flashlight https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01LN74PZY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_RXLUAbR65H4BY to visualize our GFP plants fluorescing in the dark in the museum. 

According to the Amazon entry it has 395 nm     "UV light is reflects thanks to the 51 High Quality, ultraviolet LED lights up to 395nm". 

Now I was curious, whether one can turn a normal microscope into a fluorescence microscope with this flashlight/its LEDs. Spoiler, it works, but weaker. Surely worth it, if you don't have the spare benjamins laying around for a real one. 

I used DAPI to stain some fresh buccal cells, and put them onto our fluorescence microscope using the internal GFP filter. This was used as the reference. 

Now I turned off the fluorescence channel (out the fluorescence light). Then shined onto the glass slide with this UV flashlight. THis picture is attached too. 

You can see that even without optimization, there is something to see. 

If i have time tomorrow, I want to try out to not use the internal filter; using an external filter instead 

These are the filters that I ordered  (1x LEE Colour Filter 015 Deep Straw; 1x Lee Colour Filter 019 Fire) from https://www.thomann.de/at/index.html 

The orange one seems to be Ok for GFP. 

This should be cool, assuming your microscope has a camera channel. I don't know too much about optics, whether the microscope lense would filter out the UV or burn your retina with it, so proceed with caution, or 3D print a case for your smartphone so it can act as a camera onto the occular. 

[Andreas "Mega" Stuermer]

Forgot to update, The filter works under daylight but for some strange reason not in the microscope. Maybe because the laser goes through the lense and is filtered too, or because the angle is bad and there is not sufficient illumination.

Will try next week again

[Andreas "Mega" Stuermer]

It works. A non-fluorescent microscope shows the cells in normal light; then i switched on the UV-flashlight and added the filter mechanically

[Dakota Hamill]

Pretty cool instant fluorescent scope fix Andreas! 

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[Tres Brazell]

awesome!