The SLICE Advantage: Why Our Innovative Approach Outperforms Legacy Light Sheet Microscopes
In our recent discussions, we’ve introduced SLICE as a revolutionary light sheet microscope, making high-performance 3D imaging accessible for under $75,000.
SLICE Discovery Platform: Advanced Light Sheet Microscopy
Integrated imaging technology that streamlines how you capture, process, and analyze biological data
The SLICE™ Discovery Platform brings together advanced optics, intelligent computing, and robust data infrastructure in a unified system designed to accelerate biological research and discovery.
For too long, the promise of advanced light sheet microscopy has been a story of fragmentation, powerful hardware here, complex software there, and often a prohibitive price tag everywhere. At MBF Bioscience, we believe that true scientific advancement comes from a unified, integrated solution.
That’s why we’ve created the SLICE Discovery Platform: a comprehensive ecosystem designed to empower every researcher with the tools needed for groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis. It’s a complete path from sample to discovery, engineered to be the new standard in light sheet microscopy.
SLICE Discovery Platform
Key Benefits
- Rapid Volumetric Imaging: Acquire 3D datasets from large cleared specimens with exceptional speed and sub-cellular resolution.
- Accelerated Data Processing: Leverage dual GPU architecture and up to 2TB RAM to process multi-terabyte imaging datasets efficiently through advanced visualization and machine learning analysis.
- Scalable, Secure Data Storage: Secure your research with RAID6-protected storage that scales with your needs while maintaining fast access to archived datasets.
- Concurrent Acquisition and Analysis: Eliminate experimental downtime through parallel workflows that enable continuous data collection while previous datasets undergo processing and analysis.
- Uninterrupted Data Flow: Maintain research momentum with 10G network infrastructure that moves large datasets instantly between acquisition, analysis, and storage.
Complete Integrated Solution
SLICE delivers high-performance light sheet microscopy with rapid acquisition speeds and exceptional 3D resolution. The system captures detailed cellular dynamics and tissue architecture, providing the image quality essential for demanding research applications.
Data flows directly into a SLICE Station, a dedicated GPU-powered workstation optimized for intensive image processing. Advanced 3D visualization, machine learning analysis, deconvolution and post processing tools work together to extract meaningful insights from complex datasets.
SLICE Storage ensures your valuable research data remains secure and accessible through enterprise-grade, RAID6-protected storage systems designed specifically for the demanding requirements of multi-terabyte imaging datasets. Scale effortlessly as your research grows.
The SLICE Network delivers lightning-fast 10G connectivity that eliminates the traditional barriers between data acquisition, analysis, and archival storage. Your workflow becomes a fluid pipeline where insights emerge as quickly as you can capture them.
Engineered for Modern Research Demands
Research teams handling complex imaging workflows benefit from a platform that eliminates technical bottlenecks. The SLICE Discovery Platform creates an efficient pipeline from data acquisition through analysis, enabling faster progression from experimental data to research insights.
| SLICE is the central hub of your light sheet imaging workflow. It is an integrated system including the microscope, workstation and BrightSLICE software for a complete solution.
SLICE supports a complete sequential workflow, including data acquisition, post-processing, and visualization, all on one workstation without the need for a separate network or additional resources.
Researchers can acquire large, multi-channel datasets with ease, while the integrated computing power supports real-time visualization and post-processing. Whether used independently or as part of a parallel workflow with SLICE Station and SLICE Storage, SLICE provides a streamlined, high-performance foundation for advanced light sheet microscopy. |  |
| SLICE Network: High-Speed Infrastructure for Seamless Light Sheet Imaging
10G network infrastructure that keeps pace with your fastest light sheet acquisition. Move multi-terabyte datasets from microscope to analysis to archive without the traditional bottlenecks that slow discovery.
Key Components:
All components are connected via a 10G smart switch, ensuring rapid data transfer across the network. Whether you're acquiring large datasets on the SLICE Core or processing them on the SLICE Station, the SLICE Network maintains fast, uninterrupted communication between systems—enabling researchers to move from image acquisition to discovery without delay. |  |
| SLICE Station: The Ultimate Computing Solution for Light Sheet Microscopy Engineered to Transform Massive Light Sheet Datasets into Groundbreaking Discoveries
SLICE Station is a complete high-performance computing solution purpose-built for the massive data demands of light sheet microscopy. From real-time 3D visualization to complex image processing and machine learning, SLICE Station delivers seamless power, speed, scalability, and flexibility.
Unmatched Hardware Architecture
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| SLICE Storage: Storage Optimized for Light Sheet Microscopy Data
Keep your light sheet microscopy moving at the speed of discovery. Purpose-built data storage that scales with multi-terabyte datasets, without slowing down your research.
Key Features:
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Key Comparisons of SLICE and SLICE Discovery Platform
Sequential Workflow with SLICE: Perform acquisition, post-processing, and visualization on a single integrated system.
Parallelized Workflow with SLICE Discovery Platform: Add a SLICE Station to handle analysis tasks independently, freeing SLICE for uninterrupted imaging.
| Feature Description | Sequential Workflow | Parallel Workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | ||
| Maximized Throughput Capability | ||
| Scalable, Flexible Architecture | ||
| 10G Network Required | ||
| No Network Required | ||
| Concurrent task handling (acquire + process simultaneously) | ||
| Centralized, High-Speed Storage NAS |
Platform Expandability: Scale Your Workflow
The SLICE Discovery Platform is built to grow with your needs. The following optional components integrate seamlessly with the core SLICE microscope to create a high-performance, scalable solution for the most demanding research environments.
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- SLICE Station: A dedicated analysis workstation featuring powerful GPUs and ample memory for high-speed downstream 3D visualization, deconvolution, and machine learning tasks.
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- SLICE Storage: An optimized storage solution engineered for the multi-terabyte challenges of modern microscopy, providing massive capacity and high-speed performance for long-term data management.
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- SLICE Network: A high-performance 10G infrastructure that ensures rapid, uninterrupted data transfer between all components of your platform, from acquisition to analysis.
SLICE Software Bundles: Powerful Tools Available with Every SLICE System
SLICE Starter Bundle
Neurolucida® 360
The most advanced software for automatic 3D neuron and vessel reconstruction.
NeuroInfo®
Accurate brain atlas registration and AI-driven cell and biomarker quantification.
SLICE Advanced Bundle
Neurolucida® 360
The most advanced software for automatic 3D neuron and vessel reconstruction.
NeuroInfo®
Accurate brain atlas registration and AI-driven cell and biomarker quantification.
Stereo Investigator®
The complete stereology solution. The gold standard for unbiased cell counting.
NeuroDeblur®
The premier deconvolution and artifact removal software for large 3D microscopy datasets.
News About SLICE
SLICE: Breakthrough Light Sheet Imaging for Under $75,000
For years, light sheet microscopy has stood out as a powerful technique, enabling stunning 3D imaging of large, live, and delicate
MBF Bioscience Introduces SLICE™: We Reimagined Light Sheet Microscopes From the Ground Up
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MBF Bioscience Introduces SLICE™: We Reimagined Light Sheet Microscopes From the Ground Up Breakthrough system combines
Who Is Using MBF Products?
MBF products are used across the globe by the most prestigious laboratories.
Key References
The utility of MBF’s products is underscored by the number of references it receives in the world’s leading scientific publications. See examples below:
Horejs, CM.
Low-cost, high-performance light-sheet microscopyView Publication
Chen, Y., Chauhan, S., Gong, C. et al.
Low-cost and scalable projected light-sheet microscopy for the high-resolution imaging of cleared tissue and living samplesView Publication
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is included in the SLICE Discovery Platform?
The platform includes four integrated components: the SLICE (SLICE microscope, computer and a monitor), SLICE station for GPU-accelerated analysis, SLICE storage for large-scale data storage, and a 10G SLICE network for fast, uninterrupted data transfer.
How much data can the system handle?
SLICE storage supports up to 240TB per unit with scalable options into the petabyte range. SLICE station is designed to handle multi-terabyte datasets with up to 2TB of RAM and dual GPUs.
Do I need a 10G network to use SLICE?
While SLICE can operate as a standalone system, full performance benefits such as parallel workflows and fast data transfer require a 10G SLICE network setup.
Can I run acquisition and analysis at the same time?
Yes. With the SLICE Discovery Platform’s parallelized architecture, you can acquire data on SLICE while processing on SLICE station simultaneously—maximizing throughput and minimizing downtime.
Testimonials
"I rarely have encountered a company so committed to support and troubleshooting as MBF."
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"I am so happy to be a customer of your company. I always get great help related with your product or not. With the experienced members, you are the best team I've ever met. All of your staff are very kind and helpful. Thank you for your great help and support all the time."
"We’ve been very happy for many years with MBF products and the course of upgrades and improvements. Your service department is outstanding. I have gotten great help from the staff with the software and hardware."
"Our experience with the MBF equipment and especially the MBF people has been outstanding. I cannot speak any higher about their professionalism and attention for our needs."
"MBF provides excellent technical support and helps you to find the best technical tools for your research challenges on morphometry."
Robust Professional Support
Our service sets us apart, with a team that includes Ph.D. neuroscientists, experts in microscopy, stereology, neuron reconstruction, and image processing. We’ve also developed a host of additional support services, including:
- Forums
We have over 25 active forums where open discussions take place.
>> Learn More - On-Site/Training
We’ve conducted over 750 remote software installations.
>> Learn More - Webinars
We’ve created over 55 webinars that demonstrate our products & their uses.
>> Learn More
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At MBF, we’ve spent decades understanding the needs of researchers and their labs — and have a suite of products and solutions that have been specifically designed for the needs of today’s most important and advanced labs. Our commitment to you is to spend time with you discussing the needs of your lab — so that we can make sure the solutions we provide for you are exactly what you’ll need. It’s part of our commitment to supporting you — before, during, and after you’ve made your decision. We look forward to talking with you!
