Wide Field Microscopes
Our facility is equipped with various high-end, fully motorized inverted wide-field microscopes to cover a broad range of applications and experimental needs. Besides some special modules (see individual microscope description) all microscopes have an identical base setup:
- A white-light LED light source for transmission microscopy (bright-field and DIC/phase contrast),
- a high-intensity solid state LED light engine for multichannel epi-fluorescence imaging,
- full environmental control for live cell support (temperature, CO2, humidity),
- high-precision motorized XYZ positioning,
- hardware and software auto-focus systems,
- a full set of mid-range and high-end objectives, and
- highly sensitive sCMOS camera.
All systems can run the most common types of live-cell experiment, combining time lapse, multi-position (XYZ), multi-channel and stitching (large image) functionalities. In addition, each microscope can be custom-scripted to perform more complex and/or ‘smart’ imaging routines (JOBS).
System specialties
Beside the basic capabilities, each of the systems is particularly specialized for certain experiment types, often through the choice of (extra) peripherals. A brief overview follows below.
Some of those systems carry additional confocal modules or other add-ons (e.g. a color camera, a plate hotel, etc.) and can be used also in other image acquisition modes.
For detailed descriptions of the individual workstations (all specifications, filter settings, etc.) and interactive spectra viewers, see our internal Wiki (D-BSSE login required).
Nikon Wide Field 2 + X-Light v3 SD Confocal
- Microscope base: Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E (inverted)
- Light engine: Lumencor Celesta (405/446/477/520/546/638/749 nm)
- Camera: Photometrics Kinetix (Dual)
- Specialty: Spinning disk module*, high data throughput, dual cameras, thin samples, fast multi-color (multi-band filters), NIR fluorescence
*This wide field microscope is additionally equipped with a fully compatible, spinning disk confocal scanner (X-Light v3). For more information on the confocal specifications, visit the Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopes page.
Nikon Wide Field 3 + X-Light v3 SD Confocal
- Microscope base: Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E (inverted)
- Light engine: Lumencor Celesta (405/446/477/520/546/638/749 nm)
- Camera: Photometrics Kinetix (Dual)
- Specialty: BSL2 experiments, spinning disk module*, high data throughput, dual cameras, thin samples, fast multi-color (multi-band filters), NIR fluorescence
*This wide field microscope is additionally equipped with a fully compatible, spinning disk confocal scanner (X-Light v3). For more information on the confocal specifications, visit the Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopes page.
Nikon Wide Field 5
- Microscope base: Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E (inverted)
- Light engine: Lumencor Spectra III (395/438/475/511/555/635/747 nm)
- Camera 1: Hamamatsu ORCA-Fusion (w. triggering)
- Camera 2: Nikon DS-Fi3
- Hardware timing unit: NIDAQ (National Instruments)
- Piezo z-stage: Mad City Labs Nano-Drive (200 µm, w. triggering)
- Specialty: Accurate timing & high-speed experiments (triggered camera & piezo z-stage), fast multi-color (multi-band filters), NIR fluorescence, transmission imaging in color (color camera DS-Fi3)
Nikon Wide Field 6 + A1 HD25 Confocal
- Microscope base: Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E (inverted)
- Light engine: Lumencor Spectra X (387/438/466/500/531/632 nm)
- Camera: Andor Sona 4.2B-11
- Confocal unit: A1 HD25 LFOV confocal point scanner
- Specialty: point-scanning confocal module*, Large field-of-view (LFOV), combination w. confocal
*This wide field microscope is additionally equipped with a fully compatible, point-scanning confocal scan head (A1 HD25). For more information on the confocal specifications, visit the Confocal Microscopes page.
Nikon Wide Field 7 + LIPSI
The high-throughput imaging platform (LIPSI) consists of a high-end, fully motorized inverted wide-field microscope hooked up to a robotic arm and a cell culture incubator. The incubator holds up to 10 microplates which can be transported to/from the microscope stage. A second incubator module with a tilt function (TIPSI), for use of gravity driven microfluidic devices is available. Use of the robotic arm requires scripting using NIS elements JOBS.
- Microscope base: Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E (inverted)
- Light engine: Lumencor Spectra X (390/438/475/513/549/632 nm)
- Camera: Hamamatsu ORCA-Flash4.0 V2 CMOS camera
- Prior Scientific ProScan H117 stage
- LIS motorized stage top incubator (STI), temperature, CO2 and humidity control systems
- Specialty: multi-plate live time-lapse microscopy/screening, feedback microscopy (JOBS), automated water-immersion dispension (WID)
Robotic arm
- Prior Scientific PLW20 well plate loader system
- Equipped with barcode scanner
Plate Incubator
- LIS brick CO2 and humidity control system for hotel
- LIPSI - Standard Hotel for up to 10 well plates
- TIPSI - Tilting hotel (+/- 20° tilt angle) for 8 plates