Scientists Develop Microscopic Calibration Tool With Fluorescent Nanodiamonds

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Jewelers, geologists, and microscopists agree: diamonds are forever. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are using microscopic nanodiamonds to calibrate and assess the performance of high-powered microscopes. Their longevity and durability make the tiny "first-aid kits" more than up to the task.

Advanced optical microscopy systems provide high-resolution views of the structure and function of cells and molecular compounds. Developing a stable fluorescent nanodiamond phantom promises wide-reaching applicability for microscopy research and quality control alike.

"There is potential that this is going to become a standard calibration tool in fluorescence microscopy worldwide. This sample is so convenient, and so easy to use, that it is hopefully going to make a large impact," said Mantas urauskas, an imaging research scientist for the GlaxoSmithKline Center for Optical Molecular Imaging at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, who led the research.

The team's paper, "Fluorescent nanodiamonds for characterization of nonlinear microscopy systems," was published in Photonics Research.

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