In vitro is a technique used in a variety of studies and experiments, mainly to manipulate the products or results of tissue or cell culture.  Due to the demands for ensuring that the process is effective and efficient, demand for a multi-dimensional microscopy instrument also increased.  This is mainly because the in vitro technique is a highly sensitive process, involving extremely sensitive materials.  Since manipulations and tests are performed mostly at the cellular level, it’s also important the microscopy used is capable of excellent imaging and magnification.

The most basic components of the in vitro microscope that affect its performance are its optical lens system and its hardware control.  Other components such as automated support through software only serve to enhance the features that are already in place.  It is also important that the in vitro microscope is capable of processing images digitally, mainly because it is often a requisite in many biology or medical fields to store specimen images to be used later for reference or comparison.  The highly detailed imaging capability of the in vitro microscope makes it the ideal instrument to use with the in vitro technique.

What is an in vitro microscope?
An in vitro microscope, unlike other traditional forms of microscopy, is a highly sophisticated instrument that is capable of assisting laboratory technicians and researchers in the observation, study and manipulation of live cellular materials.  There are several key features found in in vitro microscopy which are rarely found (if at all) in traditional optical instruments.  These include:

High magnification and focusing mechanism
In vitro microscopes feature effective magnification systems, a requirement for viewing cellular matter.  The focusing mechanism also allows for highly detailed viewing and sharper contrast.

Multi-dimensional viewing
In vitro microscopes often feature automatic and manual selection mechanisms that allow observers to choose between two microscopy techniques.  A single instrument, for example, can provide either a compound or stereoscopic contrast observation.

Real time viewing
Many of the more advanced types of microscopy available today are capable of processing highly detailed imaging.  However, although digital imaging is also available, many of these instruments require viewing the specimen through a computer screen, usually as captured images.  That means an observer viewing an image on a monitor is not viewing it in real time.  Instead, the image will be a capture of the specimen taken a few seconds prior to actual viewing.

ZY stage navigation
Working with specimens that are at the cellular label can be very disorienting.  Modern in vitro microscopes solve this problem by providing a ZY stage navigation feature, allowing observers to identify the position or location of a certain object in relation to a set guide or parameter.

A new instrument for stem cell research
Early in December of 2007, the Marine Biological Laboratory or MBL announced that it has developed a polarized light microscope that played an essential role in a breakthrough research regarding embryonic stem cells.  The research was a first in many ways, primarily because it allowed researchers to derive stem cells successfully from the cloned embryos of rhesus monkeys.  In the past, obtaining stem cells from cloned zygotes of primates was not only difficult to do, most of the attempts had been unsuccessful.  The technique, known as therapeutic cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer, was once thought to be a technical impossibility.

According to the head researcher, the stem cell derivation procedure was successful due mainly to the in vitro microscope system used, named the Oosight ™ microscope (from oocyte, referring to a viable egg cell).  The microscope featured extremely high magnifications, allowing the researchers to identify meiotic spindle from the egg cells of the female monkeys.  The material was subsequently removed, a process referred to as enucleation, one of the initial steps involved in therapeutic cloning.

Using the instrument, the researchers used genetic material sourced from the skin cells of a male monkey of the same species and inserted it into the egg cells.  There were 304 oocytes used and from the embryos developed, two stem cell lines were viable enough to be used since they were identical genetically to the male monkey donor.

What this represents is a step towards a more effective means of using the in vitro technique in performing highly sensitive and fragile tasks.  According to head researcher Shoukhat Mitalipov, viewing the minute components of the zygote was extremely difficult without the use of an excellent in vitro microscope.  Staining the sample was out of the question because the chemical damages the quality of the egg.

With the development of a highly efficient in vitro microscope, obtaining a magnified image of the sample was much easier.  Furthermore, it also presented a capability that was unavailable before.  This in vitro microscope allowed technicians and researchers to work with the egg by viewing it directly.  Previous tests, experiments and researches that involved working with cellular material required that the image should be viewed through a computer screen.  The development of the new in vitro microscopy technique is a most welcome addition to the highly advanced instrumentations used in this field of study. More on this topic