Multi-field 3D scanning light microscopy of early embryogenesis

A computer-controlled microscopy system was devised to allow the observation of avian embryo development over an extended time period. Parallel experiments, as well as extended specimen volumes, can be recorded at cellular resolution using a three-dimensional scanning procedure. The resulting large set of data is processed automatically into registered, focal- and positional-drift corrected mosaic images, assembled as montages of adjacent microscopic fields. The configuration of the incubator and a sterile embryo chamber prevents condensation of the humidified culturing atmosphere in the optical path and is compatible with both differential interference contrast and epifluorescence optics. As a demonstration, recordings are presented showing the large-scale remodelling of the embryonic primordial vascular structure.