Leica Microsystems has launched Mica, what it describes as the world’s first microhub. A microhub is a new type of wholly integrated imaging solution that leverages machine learning software, automation tools and unique fluorescence unmixing techniques to automate the imaging workflow for researchers, regardless of their microscopy experience levels.
"Research paradigms are constantly evolving, as we have seen with the recent evolution of single cell and transcriptomics. The next frontier is about essentially putting this dissociated information into spatial context, as location is critical to understanding biological mechanisms. The trend is driving more researchers to utilize complex imaging in their research. We have built Mica for these researchers, who need to focus more on their biology than the specialism of microscopy," says James O’Brien, Vice President Life Sciences at Leica Microsystems. "The microhub era will supercharge the microscopy experience for everyone."
All researchers, regardless of expertise, can now work in a single digital imaging platform, moving confidently from setup to beautifully visualised results, allowing true access for all. The microhub intelligently automates sample-finding, parameter-setting and focus constancy, replacing manual setup with just one push of a button. Mica eliminates over 85% of the tedious setup steps in the conventional imaging workflow.
Users can visualise four labels simultaneously in widefield using Leica’s FluoSync technology, which offers four times more data with 100% correlation compared to traditional fluorescence imaging methods. They can then switch seamlessly to confocal without moving the sample, to explore unexpected paths with no constraints.
Mica also fully integrates everything a researcher needs for radically simplified workflows, using automation and AI to enable deeper understanding and a faster track to publication. For example, to perform a complex experiment such as a fluorescence multi-well plate assay, the current workflow can be simplified from 24 steps using a conventional microscope to just eight steps.
