Revolutionizing imaging of whole biological organisms: light sheet microscopy with Prof. Jan Huisken

In this episode, we talk to Prof. Jan Huisken, the head of the Multiscale Biology lab at the University of Göttingenan, an Alexander von Humboldt Professor and a renowned expert in microscopy. We unravel the making of light-sheet microscopes, exploring their pros and cons directly from the co-inventor himself! Prof. Huisken shares with us how to deal with big data issues and unveils his vision for smart microscopy, showcased in his innovative creation, the portable 'Flamingo' microscopes. We discuss the challenges of working in the interdisciplinary team behind this technology. You will also learn how such microscopes and tiny transparent fish can help us understand the development of embryos. As per usual, at the end we address problems within the academic publishing system.

Our channel is supported by International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Neurosciences as well as Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging (MBExC) in Göttingen, Germany. The views presented on this channel are not representative of IMPRS or MBExC.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:25 Early career and motivation for doing science: fascination with optics 00:05:51 Being in constant move - fate of a scientist
00:07:50 Physics and biology crossover
00:10:45 Working in an interdisciplinary team
00:13:57 Academic environment in the USA and Germany
00:20:46 Research focus: advanced light microscopy techniques for studying development of living organisms
00:26:32 Development and application of light-sheet microscopy
00:37:34 Zebrafish - a model for embryo development and cardiac research
00:43:30 Clearing - making biological samples transparent
00:50:18 Flamingos - portable, accessible microscopes
00:58:41 Improving reproducibility in biology with standardised and accessible microscopy
01:01:50 Big Data in microscopy
01:06:39 Smart microscopy
01:16:51 Problems in academia: publishing system

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