The Zeiss LSM 5 Duo laser scanning microscope has picked up the top prize in the coveted R+D 100 Awards, widely recognised as the 'science Oscar'
Rewarding the excellence and innovation of the 100 most important new technical products, this is the fifth consecutive win for a Carl Zeiss Microscope, the third for a member of the LSM 5 family and the 14th for Carl Zeiss.
The fast line scanning module of the LSM 5 Live and the precise point scanning module of the LSM 510 Meta, both previous winners of the R+D 100 Award, are integrated in the innovative LSM 5 Duo.
The judges were impressed by the unrivalled experimental and imaging versatility the new microscope offers biomedical scientists from a wide range of disciplines.
For the first time, optical specimen manipulation and demanding microscopic observation is possible with a single instrument.
The new system combines all the current high-end technologies of confocal microscopy in a single workstation.
The two independent scanner groups provide great flexibility in optical sample micromanipulation for Flip or Frap applications or when utilising photoactivateable and photoconvertible variants of fluorescent proteins.
Dynamic processes up to the kHz range may be observed using the system's ultra-fast acquisition capabilities.
Meanwhile, multiple Meta channels make time-saving, specimen-preserving spectral imaging possible.
"The LSM 5 Duo is a groundbreaking combination of high resolution, sensitivity, speed and spectral imaging - essential pre-requisites for the next generation of live cell imaging research," says Aubrey Lambert, Carl Zeiss UK.
"This prize underscores Zeiss's claim to technological leadership in high end microscope systems for biomedical research and clinical laboratories and the innovation strategy that drives new product development and provides our customers with tools that enable them to perform their tasks more quickly, efficiently and successfully".
The LSM 5 Duo is ideally suited to a wide range of live cell imaging applications, allowing researchers to probe deeper into the cell's molecular processes.
Developmental studies can be carried out at high speed and in 3D resolution, even with low-magnification lenses.
Physiological measurements can be perfectly matched to biological timescales or spectral properties.
The award is the fifth in a row for Zeiss and follows the wins by the LSM 5 Live in 2005, PlasDic in 2004, ApoTome in 2003 and the LSM 510 Meta laser scanning microscope in 2002.
The LSM 5 Duo laser scanning microscope combines all the current high-end technologies of confocal microscopy and is the optimum choice for multi-user laboratories and extremely demanding specimens.
