Light-sheet microscopy using an Airy beam

The project was supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance and St Andrews 600 anniversary BRAINS appeal. The PhD apprenticeship of C.C.L. was funded by the School of Biology.Light-sheet microscopy facilitates rapid, high-contrast, volumetric imaging with minimal sample exposure. However, the rapid divergence of a traditional Gaussian light sheet restricts the field of view (FOV) that provides innate subcellular resolution. We show that the Airy beam innately yields high contrast and resolution up to a tenfold larger FOV. In contrast to the Bessel beam, which also provides an increased FOV, the Airy beam's characteristic asymmetric excitation pattern results in all fluorescence contributing positively to the contrast, enabling a step change for light-sheet microscopy.PostprintPeer reviewe