Zeyu Zhang, a Master's student at TU Ilmenau's Technical Optics Group, has been honored with the Best Poster Award at the annual conference of the German Society for Applied Optics (DGaO). The student of Optical Systems Engineering – a cross-sectional science that combines the engineering knowledge of optics, electronics, mechanics and information technology into a new discipline – received the award for his research as part of his master's thesis on light sheet fluorescence microscopy, a powerful method for the 3D characterization of fluorescent samples.
Immersing yourself in the tiny world of cells and molecules with a special camera to see what is going on there – almost as if you were looking through a magic microscope: this is exactly what lightsheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) makes possible. It not only allows researchers like Zeyu Zhang to see in three dimensions (3D) what is going on in fluorescent samples, such as parts of living cells. With the help of a special technique called Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC), it also reveals how long these samples glow. Dr. Meike Hofmann, research assistant at the Technical Optics Group and supervisor of Zeyu Zhang's master's thesis, explains:
'This 'glow duration' is a key to unlocking the secrets of biological processes, and in this precision work, every single particle of light (photon) emitted by the samples counts.
A specially developed microscope system captures these photons and tracks when and where they arrive. "Since many photons are needed for precise results, it's like collecting countless tiny data points to create a big picture," says Zeyu Zhang.
Revealing hidden processes in the tiny realm of cells
Together with Dr. Meike Hofmann, Chang Liu and head of Technical Optics Prof. Stefan Sinzinger, the Master's student has further developed this approach. In the laboratory, the researchers put together a microscope system that combines LSFM and TCSPC technology. It enables both 3D imaging and measurement of the light duration. "We use a special laser and experiment with different experimental conditions – for example, with the shape of the laser beam or how long and intensively we illuminate the sample – in order to find the best conditions for our investigations," explains Zeyu Zhang.
The Master's student was honored with the Best Poster Award for the presentation of this work at the annual conference of the German Society for Applied Optics (DGaO) on June 13, 2025. Prof. Stefan Sinzinger is delighted with this award for two reasons:
With his work, Mr. Zhang is helping to further develop a fascinating technique that allows us to unveil and better understand the hidden processes in the realm of cells and molecules. We are just as proud as the award that Zeyu Zhang once again cycled all the way from Ilmenau to the annual conference in Stuttgart - but this was not assessed by the jury.
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Dr. Meike Hofmann
Fachgebiet Technische Optik