People didn’t think it would be possible to build the laser phase plate. It required bouncing a laser 10,000x between perfectly polished mirrors – so perfect that only one team in the world can polish them to the atomic-level smoothness required. The idea was first conceived over 15 years ago. Today, it’s a reality. It will capture details in human cells never seen before, illuminating the molecular underpinnings of disease. #science #physics #biology #microscopy