Question

I am trying to find a medium for optics experiments on living cells. I have been using yeast cells,saccharomyces cerevisiaeandsaccharomyces boulardii, and need a medium with refractive index (RI) greater than1.41.4at a wavelength of780nm780nm(and temperature25∘C25∘C) and in which the cells are still able to live and reproduce. I have been trying to mix their YPD medium with substances such aspolyethylene glycol(PEG) and glicerin at different mass fractions, but to no avail: either the cells died or the RI was still not high enough. The "tuning" substance would need to have a RI larger than1.41.4because it would need to be mixed with YPD (which has basically the same RI as water), and it also would have to be hydrophilic to some degree (preferably shouldn’t be too viscous, but that can be overlooked). Does anyone know about other alternatives?

Answer 1

Consider using immersion lenses with a medium such as oil, glycerin, or water to improve imaging of living cells in optics experiments.

Step-by-step explanation:

I understand that you are looking for a medium with a refractive index (RI) greater than 1.4 to conduct optics experiments on living cells. While you have tried mixing substances like polyethylene glycol (PEG) and glycerin with the YPD medium, it seems that the cells either died or the RI was not high enough. I would suggest considering the use of immersion lenses with a medium such as oil, glycerin, or water. These substances can be placed between the objective and the microscope cover slip to minimize the mismatch in refractive indices, allowing for better imaging of living cells.