---
title: "University of Strathclyde researchers 3D print super-resolution microscopy lenses"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/university-of-strathclyde-researchers-3d-print-super-resolution-microscopy-lenses/
date: 2026-03-12
modified: 2026-03-12
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "Researchers at the University of Strathclyde have produced high-quality optical lenses using consumer-grade 3D printers, which demonstrate performance comparable to commercial optics for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. The university reported it..."
categories:
  - "Optics"
  - "Research & Education"
tags:
  - "insights"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Uni-Strathclyde-microscopic-lens_02-640x400.jpg
word_count: 361
---

# University of Strathclyde researchers 3D print super-resolution microscopy lenses

Researchers at the University of Strathclyde have produced [high-quality optical lenses using consumer-grade 3D printers](https://www.voxelmatters.com/scientists-3d-print-60-microscope-in-less-than-three-hours/), which demonstrate performance comparable to commercial optics for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. The university reported it produced each lens for less than £1 ($1.34).

![University of Strathclyde researchers 3D print super-resolution microscopy lenses](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Uni-Strathclyde-microscopic-lens_01-340x182.jpeg)

The team designed and fabricated a custom hexagonal lenslet array — a honeycomb configuration — and integrated it into a [multifocal structured illumination microscopy (mSIM) system](https://www.voxelmatters.com/cellink-acquires-discover-echo-for-its-innovative-microscopy-technology/).

The lens was then cast using a silicone mold and an ultraviolet (UV)-curable resin to achieve an optically smooth surface. The team also developed a technique to reduce optical scattering introduced by the layer-by-layer printing process.

## Benchmarking against commercial arrays

The 3D printed array was tested alongside two commercial lenslet arrays: a high-end unit with a 250-micrometer (µm) lenslet diameter, and a budget unit with a 1 millimeter by 1.4 millimeter lenslet footprint. The team benchmarked beam profile homogeneity and lateral resolution using a commercial bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cell specimen.

With laser-scanning illumination, the high-end commercial array improved resolution, and the 3D-printed array achieved the same output resolution.

[![University of Strathclyde researchers 3D print super-resolution microscopy lenses](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Uni-Strathclyde-microscopic-lens_04.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Uni-Strathclyde-microscopic-lens_04.jpg)

[![University of Strathclyde researchers 3D print super-resolution microscopy lenses](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Uni-Strathclyde-microscopic-lens_03.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Uni-Strathclyde-microscopic-lens_03.jpg)

“We created optical parts that enable imaging of life's smallest building blocks at a remarkable level of detail,” stated Jay Christopher, a researcher on the project. “This approach opens the possibility for customized imaging systems and unlocks scenarios that are traditionally either impossible or require costly glass manufacturing services.”

Christopher added that the method could reduce dependence on specialist supply chains. 

“Our new approach could empower scientists and companies to access tools previously locked behind specialist technology with high costs,” he explained. “Using budget-friendly 3D printers and materials, they could manufacture their own components to solve problems they are facing and, in turn, generate unique research and product development solutions.”

Ralf Bauer, who led the research, said the project had evolved significantly in scope.

“With consumer-grade 3D printing technologies becoming more sophisticated and precise every year, our ambitions grew from seeing whether 3D printed lenses could be used for biological imaging to exploring how far they could go within the latest advanced imaging concepts,” Bauer said.

The team now plans to investigate new optical designs, including multi-focus 3D configurations and bioinspired imaging systems.