High-resolution imaging of Drosophila compound eye with Low Angle Ring Illumination Stereomicroscopy (LARIS)

Compound eyes of Drosophila are widely used to get exciting insights into genetics, developmental biology, cell biology, disease biology, gene regulation, etc. Various parameters like eye size, pigmentation loss, disorientation/fusion/disruption of ommatidial arrays, and formation of necrotic patches are used to assess the status of eye development and degeneration. Here we developed an optimized optical alignment (LARIS) for high-contrast imaging of the Drosophila eye under stereomicroscope. This technique would also be useful for high-contrast eye imaging of other insects.