Technological Breakthroughs in Life Sciences

Peking University’s research teams have led two pivotal innovations. The "Triangular Beam Interference Structured Illumination Microscope (3I-SIM)" redefines live-cell super-resolution imaging by using three laser beams to generate 2D hexagonal lattice patterns, enabling single-exposure high-resolution data capture. This cuts image reconstruction time to just 7 frames and achieves speeds up to 1,697 frames per second, while reducing photobleaching damage—allowing 13-hour continuous imaging of sensitive neuron growth cones . Separately, a 2.6g miniaturized multiphoton microscope with ultra-broadband hollow fiber technology 实现了 700-1060nm multi-wavelength laser transmission, enabling RGB color imaging of deep brain activity in freely moving mice. It captures neuron and mitochondrial calcium signals alongside amyloid plaques at depths exceeding 820μm, advancing Alzheimer’s disease research .

Expansion into Extreme and Cross-Disciplinary Fields

Astronomical microscopy is pushing boundaries with China’s 2.5m wide-field high-resolution solar telescope under construction in Daocheng. Equipped with adaptive optics to counter atmospheric distortion, it will track solar corona activity and magnetic structures at millisecond resolution, supporting research on 4.6-billion-year solar evolution and supernova prediction . In biopharmaceuticals, multi-spectral microscopy combined with mass spectrometry has unlocked new value from harmful fungi: analysis of Aspergillus flavus (linked to Tutankhamun’s tomb deaths) identified anticancer compounds 40% more effective against leukemia cells than traditional drugs . Industrial applications see AI-integrated microscopes dominating 68% of global quality inspection markets, with automated scanning and machine vision enhancing precision in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing .

Commercialization and Accessibility Advances

Chinese firm Optosky has launched the ATR8800 series micro-Raman spectrometer, integrating 4 lasers and 5MP cameras for "see-while-measure" micro-region analysis. Its separated imaging and signal collection optical paths boost signal-to-noise ratio, serving nanomaterial research, forensics, and pharmaceuticals globally . Notably, 3I-SIM technology has been fully open-sourced—including hardware designs, AI reconstruction algorithms, and datasets—lowering entry barriers for global research teams .

Emerging Challenges

AI integration brings ethical and security risks: algorithmic bias in automated analysis could cause billion-dollar industrial losses, while data privacy concerns arise from microscopes collecting sensitive biological or manufacturing data, prompting calls for hardware-level trusted computing standards . Meanwhile, balancing high performance with accessibility remains a focus, as the industry seeks to democratize advanced tools across academic and industrial sectors .