Fluorescence Microscopes

Fluorescence microscopy is arguably the fastest evolving research microscopy technique in use today. Also known as epi-fluorescence or incident light fluorescence, fluorescence microscopy in it's most basic form is a two part process: 1. to irradiate the specimen with specific wavelengths of light in order to excite the sample to the point of emitting light of different wavelengths, and 2. to separate the bright excitation light from the much dimmer emitted light, so that only the emitted light reaches the microscopist's eyes or camera. Fluorescence illumination can be found on upright and inverted microscopes, and is often used in cooperation with phase contrast illumination. Epifluorescence microscopes use a special illumination system equipped with high power mercury or xenon light bulbs instead of halogen or tungsten. Fluorescence microscopy can be used on samples that fluoresce naturally (referred to as autofluorescence), or on samples treated with chemicals known to fluoresce (termed secondary fluorescence). Therefore, epi-fluorescence can be used on a variety of samples spanning many different scientific fields, such as cell biology, petrography, semi-conductors, botany, pathology, virology, mineralogy, pharmaceuticals and more. Fluorescence microscopy is usually a technique used in research applications, as it is often an expensive technique that requires special illumination, filters, objectives and safety features.