Microscope Stand Information
Unless otherwise stated the microscope objective lenses require specimens to be mounted on a #1.5 glass coverslip (170 microns) or in a chamber/dish with a coverslip bottom of the same thickness.
Widefield Microscopes
Use a widefield microscope if your specimen is thin and relatively free of out-of focus blur or you don't need to optically section it for processing, analysis and visualisation in 3D.
Microscope Name | Upright or Inverted? | Fluorescence Colours | Key Features | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Axioplan | Upright | Blue, Green, Red, Far-Red |
| High sensitivity and high resolution fluorescence microscopy and differential interference contrast (DIC) of fixed specimens on slides |
Axio Imager | Upright | Blue, Green, Red, Far-Red. Cyan and Yellow available on request |
| High sensitivity and high resolution fluorescence microscopy and phase contrast of fixed specimens on slides |
Axioskop 3 | Upright | Blue, Green, Red |
| Moderate to high resolution fluorescence microscopy and imaging of histologically or histochemically stained specimens on slides. Motorised stage supports tiling and stitching of specimens. |
Inverted | Blue, Green, Red |
| Good for moderate resolution fluorescence microscopy and phase contrast of fixed/live specimens on slides, or in dishes and plates with glass or plastic bottoms. | |
Leica 2 | Inverted | Blue, Cyan, Green, Red |
| Moderate to high resolution fluorescence microscopy and colour imaging of histologically or histochemically stained specimens on slides, or in dishes and plates with glass or plastic bottoms. Leica Modulation Contrast (LMC) lenses for brightfield contrast imaging that is less sensitive to the meniscus in well plates. Cyan filter cube for CFP. |
Confocal Microscopes
Use a confocal microscope if your specimen in thick, has significant out-of-focus blur, or if you need to process, analyse or visualise it in 3D.
Microscope Name | Upright or Inverted? | Laser Lines | Features | Live Imaging | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SPE | Upright | 405, 488, 532, 640 | Leica TCS SPE with DM2500 stand. 1x PMT detector. DIC imaging. | Perfusion chamber and dipping lenses on request. | 3D imaging of fixed specimens on slides. Live imaging possible but not fast. Orthogonal (XZ) scans possible with the Z Galvo. |
SPE2 | Upright | 405, 488, 532, 640 | Leica TCS SPE with DM2500 stand. 1x PMT detector. DIC imaging. | Oko-Lab stage adapter and dipping lenses on request. | 3D imaging of fixed specimens on slides. Live imaging possible but not fast. Orthogonal (XZ) scans possible with the Z Galvo. |
SPE3 | Inverted | 405, 488, 561, 640 | Leica TCS SPE with DMI4000 stand. 1x PMT detector. DIC imaging. Motorised stage. Matrix screener module. | No incubation equipment is available for this microscope. | 3D imaging of fixed specimens in slides and dishes. Fluorescence and DIC on grids for CLEM. Multi-position imaging and tiling. Matrix Screener for high content screening applications. |
SP5 | Inverted | 405, 457, 476, 488, 495, 561, 594, 633 | Leica TCS SP5 with DMI6000B stand. 3x Hybrid and 1x PMT decectors. DIC. Motorised stage. FRAP and FRET wizards. Live Data Mode and Matrix Screener. | Pe-Con stage-top incubator for 35 mm dishes. | 4D (3D+T) imaging of live and fixed specimens. CLEM. Multi-position acquisition and tiling. FRAP and FRET Acceptor Photobleaching or Sensitised Emission. Complex experiment design. |
| Olympus FV1200 | Inverted | 405, 458, 488, 515, 559, 635. Sim Scanner: 405 (pulsed for ablation), 440 | Olympus FV1200 with IX83 stand. 3x PMT, 2x GaAsP detectors. Second scanner for simultaneous imaging and ablation. Motorised stage. Silicon lenses. Time Controller module. | Tokai-Hit stage-top incubator with adaptors for dishes and chambered coverslips. | 4D (3D+T) imaging of live and fixed specimens. High sensitivity imaging of green and red dyes with GaAsP detectors. Ablation of actin cortex. CLEM. Multi-position acquisition and tiling. Imaging thicker specimens. Complex experiment design. |
| Multiphoton | Inverted | 405, 458, 488, 514, 561, 633. Tune-able Ti-Sapphire and OPO | Zeiss LSM 880 NLO with Axio Observer Z1 stand. 32 channel GaAsP, 2x PMT, 2x NDD and BiG2. Airyscan. Motorised stage. FCS/FCCS. Experiment Designer. | Pe-Con cage incubator with CO2 chamber for 35 mm dishes | 4D (3D+T) imaging of live and fixed specimens. Multiphoton imaging and ablation. Fast spectral imaging and un-mixing. Super-resolution. Multi-position acquisition. Complex experiment design. |
Radiance | Upright | 458, 488, 514, 543, 635 | Bio-Rad radiance 2100 with Nikon E800 stand. 3x GaAsP detectors. Transmitted light contrast by DIC. Basic FRAP capability. | Tokai-Hit stage heater and Bioptechs objective lens heater available on request. | 3D imaging of fixed specimens on slides. |
Spinning Disc Confocal Microscopes
Use spinning disc microscopes for high-speed live confocal imaging of samples.
Microscope Name | Upright or Inverted? | Laser Lines | Key Features | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Vox | Inverted | 405, 488, 561, 640 |
| Imaging of live specimens in 35 mm dishes, Lab-Tek chambered coverslips and Ibidi uSlides using Solent Scientific cage type incubation chamber. DIC. Multi-point and stitching. FRAP. |
| 3i | Inverted | 405, 440, 488, 514, 561, 640 |
| Imaging of live specimens in 35 mm dishes, Lab-Tek chambered coverslips and Ibidi uSlides using Oko-Lab cage type incubation chamber. DIC. Multi-point and stitching. FRAP. |
Time-lapse inverted microscope systems
Microscope | Objective Lenses | Fluorescence Colours | Camera | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GFP1 | 10x to 40x air and LWD (oil lenses available) | Green and Red | Greyscale high sensitivity CCD | Optimally configured for 'screening' of multiple positions in multi-well plates and other vessels at low to moderate resolution and high sensitivity using phase contrast and fluorescence. Stage adapters support Nunc and Mat-Tek multi-well plates and 35 mm Mat-Tek dishes. If you need to use another vessel or adapter you must contact Andrew Vaughan |
GFP2 | 10x to 40x air and LWD (oil lenses available) | Blue, Green and Red | Greyscale high sensitivity CCD | Optimally configured for 'screening' of multiple positions in multi-well plates and other vessels at low to moderate resolution and high sensitivity using phase contrast and fluorescence. Stage adapters support Nunc and Mat-Tek multi-well plates and 35 mm Mat-Tek dishes. If you need to use another vessel or adapter you must contact Andrew Vaughan |
N-STORM (coming soon) | 10x air to 100x oil TIRF lens | Blue, Green, Red and Far-Red | Greyscale ultra-high sensitivity EMCCD | Optimally configured for high resolution and high sensitivity fluorescence microscopy of living specimens in XYZT for deconvolution, TIRF and super-resolution using N-STORM and dSTORM. |