UNIT 14.21 Use of YouScope to Implement Systematic Microscopy Protocols

Complex microscopy protocols, e.g., to dynamically track multiple signals in living cells under different conditions, are becoming more common. However, the implementation of complex protocols on modern, motorized microscopes often requires their reformulation into low-level machine language. This recoding is a time-consuming and error-prone task that often requires advanced programming skills. This unit describes how to use the high level, open-source microscope control platform YouScope to implement complex measurement protocols. Three protocols detail how to install and configure YouScope on a motorized microscope, how to use YouScope to quickly assess the quality of a sample, and how to set up imaging protocols for cells in a microplate. In addition to these protocols, descriptions are given for the use of various other tools YouScope provides to successfully accomplish various microscopy tasks. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 98:14.21.1-14.21.23. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Keywords: microscopy; automation; screening; fluorescence; single cell