Choosing A Microscope For Your Brewery / Yeast Lab.
Choosing a microscope can be quite confusing; there are many different options for you to choose between and it can be difficult knowing where to start. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you researching all the options and have created this guide to help you through the process.
We’ll be discussing microscope options for the three most common microscopy applications in yeast labs/breweries:
- An entry level system for yeast counting
- A slightly more advanced system for yeast counting and viability testing
- Bacteria morphology
We’ll now list the different microscopes available for each of the above applications (please note that all prices listed are excluding VAT). Jump straight to your application by selecting the relevant link above.
Entry Level System For Yeast Counting:
Requirements:
- A simple, inexpensive option for starting out and for hobbyists
- Up to 400x magnification
- Monocular (a single eyepiece) or binocular eyepieces (two eyepieces for more comfortable viewing)
Microscope options:
GX Microscopes UltraBIO-1
Advantages:
- Simple to use
- LED illumination (no bulb replacements required and no heat generated)
- High quality achromatic objective lenses
- Inexpensive (under £200)
- Portable option available (operated by rechargeable batteries)
Limitations:
- No XY mechanical stage (you’ll need to move the slide manually to view different regions of the slide)
- Monocular head (only one eyepiece to view through)
- Limited field of view (maximum 18mm)
GX Microscopes UltraBIO-3
Advantages:
- LED illumination (no bulb replacements required and no heat generated)
- High quality achromatic objective lenses
- Full magnification range (40x – 1000x) with additional 20x eyepieces included to extend this to 2000x
- XY mechanical stage for easy navigation of the slide
- Binocular head (two eyepieces) for comfortable viewing
- Improved field of view (maximum 20mm)
- Excellent value at just £235 + VAT
Limitations:
- If you’re looking for a professional microscope, you may wish to consider a microscope with Plan Achromat objectives (as opposed to Achromat) for improved image clarity – see below.
- Higher grade microscopes will offer a further improved field of view.
More advanced system for yeast counting and viability testing:
Requirements:
- A microscope for professionals, or those wanting to invest in a good system
- Binocular (two eyepieces) for comfortable viewing, or trinocular head (two eyepieces plus a separate third port for attaching a camera)
- Up to 1000x magnification for viability/vitality staining and morphological analysis.
Microscope options:
GX Microscopes UltraBIO-3
Advantages:
- LED illumination (no bulb replacements required and no heat generated)
- High quality achromatic objective lenses
- Full magnification range (40x – 1000x) with additional 20x eyepieces included to extend this to 2000x
- XY mechanical stage for easy navigation of the slide
- Maximum 20mm field of view
- Binocular head (two eyepieces) for comfortable viewing, with trinocular head option
- Excellent value at just £235 + VAT for the binocular version
Limitations:
- If you’re looking for a professional microscope, you may wish to consider a microscope with Plan Achromat objectives (as opposed to Achromat) for improved image clarity – see the UltraBIO-5 or UltraBIO-6.
- Brightfield imaging only. For phase contrast capabilities you will need either the UltraBIO-5 or UltraBIO-6.
- Higher grade microscopes will offer a further improved field of view.
GX Microscopes UltraBIO-5:
Advantages:
- LED illumination (no bulb replacements required and no heat generated)
- High quality Plan Achromatic objective lenses
- Full magnification range (40x – 1000x) with optional additional eyepieces to extend this range
- XY mechanical stage for easy navigation of the slide
- Maximum 20mm field of view
- Trinocular head (two eyepieces plus a camera port) for comfortable viewing
Limitations:
- Higher grade microscopes such as the UltraBIO-6 will offer a further improved field of view.
Bacteria morphology:
Requirements:
- A robust ‘workhorse’ microscope for viewing bacterial morphology, characterising mixed ferments, cell counting and viability testing
- Binocular (two eyepieces) for comfortable viewing, or trinocular head (two eyepieces plus a separate third port for attaching a camera)
- Up to 1000x magnification for viability/vitality staining and morphological analysis.
- High quality 100x objective lens for viewing bacteria morphology
Microscope options:
GX Microscopes UltraBIO-5:
Advantages:
- LED illumination (no bulb replacements required and no heat generated)
- High quality Plan Achromatic objective lenses
- Full magnification range (40x – 1000x) with optional additional eyepieces to extend this range
- XY mechanical stage for easy navigation of the slide
- Maximum 20mm field of view
- Trinocular head (two eyepieces plus a camera port) for comfortable viewing
Limitations:
- Higher grade microscopes such as the UltraBIO-6 will offer a further improved field of view.
GX Microscopes UltraBIO-6:
Advantages:
- LED illumination (no bulb replacements required and no heat generated)
- High quality Plan Achromatic objective lenses
- Full magnification range (40x – 1000x) with optional additional eyepieces to extend this range
- XY mechanical stage for easy navigation of the slide
- Super-widefield eyepieces offering a maximum of 22mm field of view
- Trinocular head (two eyepieces plus a camera port) for comfortable viewing
- Phase contrast illumination option
Leica DM750:
Advantages:
- LED illumination (no bulb replacements required and no heat generated)
- High quality Hi-Plan Achromatic objective lenses
- Full magnification range (40x – 1000x) with optional additional eyepieces to extend this range
- XY mechanical stage for easy navigation of the slide
- Maximum 20mm field of view
- Binocular head for comfortable viewing (optional trinocular head)
Limitations:
- Higher grade microscopes such as the UltraBIO-6 will offer a further improved field of view.
- A more expensive item
Further options:
