November 2026: Multiwell plates and chamber slides
Choosing the right multiwell plate or chamber slide.
When it comes to microscopy, the quality of your images depends on more than just your microscope and objective. Getting the best image starts with choosing the right vessel!
Multiwell plates and chamber slides are convenient options for cell culture, staining, and fluorescence imaging, but not all plates and slides are designed with high-resolution microscopy in mind.
For high resolution and high magnification imaging, you should use a multiwell plate or chamber slide with a #1.5 coverslip glass bottom. Standard tissue culture plates have thick plastic bottoms which put the samples outside the working distance of high magnification objectives. This means you won't be able to focus on your samples using a high magnification objective. Objectives for high resolution imaging often use immersion mediums. These immersion fluids can react with plastic bottom plates, resulting in unimageable samples and objectives being damaged.
Why does #1.5 coverslip glass matter?
Most high-resolution microscope objectives are designed to image through a standard #1.5 coverslip, approximately 0.17 mm (170 µm) thick.
Using a vessel with a bottom that is too thick or optically different from what your objective is designed for can introduce spherical aberrations, reduce image clarity, and compromise resolution.
A #1.5 coverslip bottom helps ensure:
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Optimal optical performance: Designed to match the correction specifications of most high-resolution objectives.
- Improved image quality: Helps minimize optical aberrations and maintain sharpness.
- Better fluorescence imaging: Supports clear imaging for a variety of fluorescence microscopy applications.
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Compatibility with advanced techniques: The correct coverslip thickness is especially important for techniques such as confocal, TIRF, and super-resolution microscopy.
#1.5H (also called high precision or high tolerance #1.5) are coverslips that have a tigher tolerance to the optimal 0.17mm thickness. These are designed to give higher consistency and are ideal for experiments sensitive to variations in glass thickness. Exact tolerance on #1.5 coverslips can vary between manufacturers, so be sure to stick with the same manufacturer when doing sensitive experiments.
Multiwell plates
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Great for screening a large number of conditions, treatments, or cell types.
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Compatible with many high throughput dispensing tools and multichannel pipets.
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Optimal for titration experiments and arrays.
- Allow parallel experiments in a compact format.
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Available in different well configurations to accommodate experimental needs.
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Imaging-specific versions with #1.5 coverslip bottoms are ideal for high-resolution imaging directly in the plate.
Chamber slides
- Provide individual chambers for growing, treating, and staining cells.
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Great for comparing experimental conditions on a single slide.
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Allows positive and negative controls to be on the slide with experimental conditions. Simplifying imaging setup and increasing efficiency, rather than switching between slides.
- Convenient for immunofluorescence and other endpoint assays.
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Can simplify sample handling and preparation for microscopy.
Hardware limitations
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Different objectives and sample holders may result in limited imaging area on slides or plates. Always confirm what wells are usable before setting up your experiment
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Example: some instruments cannot image high magnification objectives on the outer wells of a multiwell plate because the objective will hit the edge of the sample holder.
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Instruments that can image multiwell plates or chamber slides in an automated way may need the exact plate specifications configured in the software. With any live or time sensitive samples, you should always make sure the instrument configuration is done in advance.
New at SCOPE: Come Explore the ibidi Core Box!
We are excited to announce that SCOPE now has an ibidi Core Box available for our microscopy users to explore!
The ibidi Core Facility Program provides imaging cores with hands-on access to a variety of microscopy-specific labware, helping researchers compare formats, geometries, and materials before deciding what works best for their experiments.
Our new ibidi Core Box is a great opportunity to:
- Explore different multiwell plates, chamber slides, and imaging vessels.
- Compare available formats and designs.
- See the different options for coverslip-bottom imaging.
- Get ideas for optimizing your sample preparation and microscopy workflow.
Stop by SCOPE to see the ibidi Core Box and explore the options available!
We will soon be requesting core samples of commonly used ibidi products so that our users can have the opportunity to try select products in their own experiments before committing to a purchase.
Best practices
Your imaging vessel is an important part of your microscopy workflow. When selecting multiwell plates or chamber slides, consider your sample, imaging technique, objective specifications, and especially the bottom material and thickness.
Remember: #1.5 coverslip thickness can make a big difference in achieving the image quality you're looking for!
Have questions about imaging vessels or want to check out the ibidi Core Box? Come visit us at SCOPE!
References:
ibidi GmbH. (Nov 2026). ibidi Core Facility Program. https://ibidi.com/content/1274-ibidi-core-facility-program