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YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN SUPER-RESOLUTION MICROSCOPE FROM MAGNETIC LEGO-LIKE CUBES

Snap 50 mm optical cubes together into a microscope — from a brightfield scope that ran inside an incubator for seven days to a 400-euro light-sheet setup, and on up to STORM.

by Benedict Diederich and the openUC2 team

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

ScienceOpen-hardware

Built withESP323D printing

difficulty
●●●●○
time
several weekends
license
CERN-OHL-1.2 (hardware), MIT (software), CC-BY (documentation)
repo
repo ACTIVE0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

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COMPAREE VERDICT

openUC2 is a modular microscopy platform from Leibniz IPHT and Uni Jena, published in Nature Communications and OSHWA-certified. The core concept is brilliant: 50 mm cubes (3D-printed with magnets in the baseplate, or injection-moulded with snap-in pins) sit on a shared grid and hold lenses, cameras and LEDs, so you can reconfigure a microscope in minutes instead of machining a new optical bench. The paper shows an incubator-enclosed brightfield microscope that tracked cell differentiation for seven days and a 400-euro light-sheet microscope; a later openUC2 project extends the cubes to fluorescence and STORM super-resolution. The limitation is that the project traded a single repo for modularity — the GitHub organisation has more than 140 repositories, each one a subsystem (ESP32 firmware, REST API, software, the BOX enclosures), and no single walkthrough that says 'buy these parts, print these files, load this firmware, done'. The wiki and forum are comprehensive but assume you already know which modules you need. If you are familiar with microscopy and want to prototype a custom imaging setup without buying a commercial optical frame, this is exceptional. If you have never aligned an objective before, start with the basic box builds and budget time to learn optics alongside the build. The one thing most likely to go wrong is underestimating alignment — the cubes make assembly fast, but a small error in the optical path is the difference between an image and a blur.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —Organisation account with more than 140 repos, not a single build guide — each repo (UC2-ESP, UC2-REST, the BOX enclosures, the STORM microscope) is a modular subsystem.
  • —CAD files are Autodesk Inventor models (.ipt/.iam) with STL exports for printing, the basic modules share one central bill-of-materials spreadsheet, and the ESP32 firmware lives in its own repository.
  • —Documentation is spread across repository readme files, the docs site (docs.openuc2.com) and linked tutorials — no one linear path from zero to a working microscope.
  • —CERN OHL v1.2 for hardware, MIT for software and CC BY for documentation in the core repository — all open-source, commercial use allowed.
  • —Nature Communications paper and OSHWA certification confirm it works, but the paper is not a build manual.
  • —The simplest starter is a basic brightfield scope; STORM super-resolution is an expert branch requiring a laser, precise alignment, and fluorophore chemistry.

Parts to buy

6 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • MagnetsFind
  • M3 hardwareFind
  • Optics (objectives, tube lenses, mirrors)Find
  • ESP32 dev boardsFind
  • Stepper driversFind
  • CameraFind

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Can I build this?

PrintCore cube system plus inserts for lenses, mirrors and sample stages — ready-to-print STL files, with the source models in Autodesk Inventor format, per subsystem repository.
BuyMagnets, M3 hardware, optics (objectives, tube lenses, mirrors), ESP32 dev boards, stepper drivers, camera — BOM varies wildly by which microscope configuration you build.
Tools3D printer, soldering iron, Allen keys, and optical alignment tools (or patience and shims) — FreeCAD for tweaking cube inserts if needed.
SkillsIntermediate to advanced — printing and assembly are straightforward, but optical alignment, firmware flashing, and integrating the control software require real troubleshooting. STORM builds require fluorescence microscopy experience.
TimeA basic brightfield scope is a long weekend if the parts are ready; a STORM super-resolution build is several weekends plus alignment and calibration.
Cost$$$ — magnets and hardware are cheap, but optics (objectives, filters, cameras) and lasers dominate the cost. A basic scope fits in low $$$, STORM pushes mid-to-high $$$.
SafetyLaser safety is the real hazard if you build a fluorescence or STORM variant — class 3B or 4 lasers require goggles, interlocks, and proper enclosures. Basic brightfield builds have no safety concerns beyond standard electronics.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

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Gallery

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the overview on the openUC2 wiki (openuc2.github.io) to understand which microscope configuration matches your goal.(The docs are linked from the GitHub org page — no single starting repo.)
  2. 2.Clone the UC2-GIT repo for cube CAD files, then identify which optical module repos (e.g. UC2-MicronStage, UC2-Hackathon) you need for your build. (Each module is a separate repo — expect to pull from 3-6 of them.)
  3. 3.Print the base cubes and inserts, source the magnets and M3 screws, and order your optics from the per-module BOM spreadsheets.(Magnets and screws are cheap and standard; optics are where lead time and cost vary.)
  4. 4.Flash the UC2-ESP firmware if your build includes motorized stages or LED control, then integrate with the UC2-REST API or ImJoy for computer control.(Basic builds can run manually; automated imaging requires this step.)
  5. 5.Align the optical path — this is the hardest step; the openUC2 docs (docs.openuc2.com) and tutorials cover it, but expect iteration.(A 3-axis stage and a test slide make this much faster.)

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The GitHub org has well over 100 repos — start from UC2-GIT, which links the docs, the central BOM and the forum, and ignore the rest until you need a specific module.
  • Optics are not plug-and-play — a cheap objective from eBay might not match the tube lens focal length, and infinity-corrected optics require exact spacing. Budget time to learn the optical design before ordering.
  • The basic modules share one shopping-and-printing list with estimated prices (linked from UC2-GIT), but advanced setups like STORM pull parts from their own repos — expect to consolidate those yourself.
  • Alignment is manual and iterative — magnets make assembly repeatable, but 'repeatable' is not the same as 'aligned'. If you have never collimated a beam, watch alignment tutorials first.
  • STORM super-resolution is not a weekend add-on — it requires a stable laser, precise stage control, fluorophore chemistry and localisation software. It is documented in a separate openUC2 fluorescence-microscope repository and preprint, not in the original Nature Communications paper.
  • There is no single end-to-end build video — openUC2's YouTube channel has short module videos, so plan to read the docs and ask on the official forum (openuc2.discourse.group).

Which microscope should I build first?

Start with the SimpleBOX or Matchbox brightfield scope — they are fully documented, require basic optics, and teach you the cube system without laser alignment or fluorescence complexity.

Can I actually build the STORM super-resolution version?

Yes, but it is an expert build. The UC2-STORM-and-Fluorescence repository and its accompanying preprint describe a widefield fluorescence microscope that can be upgraded for (d)STORM, but you need fluorescence microscopy experience, a suitable laser, stable stage control, and localisation software to reconstruct super-resolved images.

What optics do I need and where do I buy them?

Start with the central shopping-and-printing list linked from UC2-GIT, which covers the basic modules with estimated prices. Objectives, tube lenses and cameras vary by build — cheap ones exist on eBay and AliExpress, but quality matters for resolution.

Do I need the ESP32 firmware or can I build a manual microscope?

A basic brightfield scope works entirely manually — no firmware required. Motorized stages, automated Z-stacks, and LED control require the UC2-ESP firmware and REST API.

Is the licence safe for commercial use?

Yes. The core UC2 repository puts the hardware under the CERN Open Hardware Licence v1.2, the software under MIT and the documentation under CC BY, and all of them allow commercial use. CERN OHL v1.2 asks you to share modifications to the hardware design under the same licence if you distribute them, and individual sub-repositories can carry their own licences, so check each one you use.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The UC2 paper ran a cube microscope inside an incubator for seven days and turned the same parts into a roughly 400-euro light-sheet microscope. What would you image first if you had one on your bench?

CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the openUC2 GitHub organisation has more than 140 public repositories and no obvious single entry point — start from the UC2-GIT repository, which has a 'Start here' section, a central bill of materials spreadsheet for the basic modules, a link to the official YouTube channel and the community forum at openuc2.discourse.group. The Nature Communications paper is the proof that the system works — it shows an incubator-enclosed microscope tracking cell differentiation over seven days and a light-sheet microscope for zebrafish — but it is a methods paper, not a tutorial. The simple box builds documented in the repo are the on-ramp; the advanced setups are the deep end. If you are new to microscopy, treat the cubes as a prototyping platform, not a turnkey microscope — the modularity is the entire point, but it means you design your own optical path. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Benedict Diederich and the openUC2 team

Benedict Diederich at Leibniz IPHT and Uni Jena leads the openUC2 project, which published the modular cube microscopy platform in Nature Communications. The project is OSHWA-certified and designed for labs that need custom imaging setups without commercial vendor lock-in.

GitHub

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