When the Right Microscope for Your Application Doesn’t Exist While there are a huge number of commercial options now for many microscopy techniques, it is not always possible to find a microscope with the perfect specifications for your application. Maybe you also need a greater degree of flexibility or customizability in the set-up or a more affordable option than commercially available. In all of these scenarios, the solution is to build your own instrument. This can either be done entirely in-house or by outsourcing the building process. The former may seem cost-effective but relies heavily on having the right expertise, while the latter may prove prohibitively expensive.