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The secret origins of Van Leeuwenhoek’s famous microscopes

The father of microbiology surreptitiously relied on widely known formulae — including a protocol written by his arch-rival — when making lenses.
Composite image of microscopes by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

These microscopes made by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek more than 300 years ago had magnifying powers of x118 (left) and x266. Credit: Tom Haartsen Fotografie, University Museum Utrecht

Pioneering microbiologist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek made the best microscopes of the pre-industrial era with methods that he kept secret. But the first full-3D scans of two of his instruments reveal that he might have succeeded by perfecting his arch-rival Robert Hooke’s techniques.

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Nature 593, 481 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-01303-5

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