LED Illumination in Life Science Research

LED illumination has become more prominent in microscopy for both fluorescence and transmitted applications over the past few years. Today, LEDs provide many benefits over mercury and metal halide lamps that have typically been used by microscopists in the past. The historical shortcomings of LEDs have now been overcome, meaning they are now the most popular illumination devices for microscopy.

This presentation will highlight how recent developments in LEDs have made them the go-to option for lab managers, and explore the benefits of LEDs over mercury lamps for both fluorescence and transmitted work in microscopy. We will explain how they can provide a cost-effective solution, replacing several components required when using mercury. Using data examples, we will also show how using LEDs are preferential for imaging, providing better signal to noise as well as improved cell viability and reduced photobleaching.