LMCB Microscope Comparison
- Andrew Vaughan
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 | Zeiss Axioplan 2 microscope. QImaging QClick camera. Fluorescence. DIC. | 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 | Zeiss Axio Imager A1 microscope. QImaging Retiga EXi camera. Fluorescence. Phase contrast | High sensitivity and high resolution fluorescence microscopy and phase contrast of fixed specimens on slides |
Axioskop 3 | Upright | Blue, Green, Red | Zeiss Axioskop microscope. QImaging QICAM colour camera. Fluorescence. Phase contrast. Motorised stage | 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 | Leica DMIRB microscope. Hamamatsu Orca NRB camera. Fluorescence. Phase contrast. Long distance lenses suitable for use with normal TC dishes and plates | 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 | Leica DMIRB microscope. Leica DFC7000T colour camera. Fluorescence. Phase contrast. Leica Modulation Contrast (LMC). Long distance lenses suitable for use with normal TC dishes and plates | 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 detectors. 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 | Live Imaging | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vox | Inverted | 405, 488, 561, 640 | Perkin Elmer Ultraview Vox with Yokogawa CSU-X1 DSU and Nikon TiE stand. Hamamatsu C9100-13 EMCCD camera. Photokinesis Unit for FRAP. Motorised stage. Piezo focus. | Imaging of live specimens in 35 mm dishes, Lab-Tek chambered coverslips and Ibidi uSlides using Solent Scientific cage type incubation chamber. | Sensitive and gentle high-speed live confocal imaging. This machine has a smaller field of view than the 3i but the image acquisition speed is higher. DIC. Multi-point and stitching. Good for FRAP. CLEM. |
| 3i | Inverted | 405, 440, 488, 514, 561, 640 | Yokogawa CSU-W1 spinning disc and Zeiss Axio Observer Z1 stand. Photometrics Prime 95b and Andor iXon 888 Life EMCCD cameras. Vector for FRAP. Motorised stage. High speed piezo focus | Oko-Lab cage incubator with CO2 chamber and adaptors for 35 mm dishes, chambered coverslips and multi-well plates. | Sensitive and gentle high-speed live confocal imaging. This machine has a larger field of view than the Vox but the image acquisition speed is not quite as high. Multi-point and stitching. FRAP. |
Time-lapse inverted microscope systems
Microscope | Upright or Inverted? | Fluorescence Colours | Key Features | Live Imaging | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GFP1 | Inverted | Green, Red, Far-Red | Zeiss Axio Observer Z1 stand with Hamamatsu Orca Flash4.0 v2 sCMOS camera. Fully automated with motorised stage. Fluorescence and phase contrast. | Solent Scientific chamber with adaptor for multi-well plate. Other adaptors available on request. | 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. |
GFP2 | Inverted | Cyan, Green, Red, Far-Red | Zeiss Axiovert 200M stand with Hamamatsu Orca ER CCD camera. Fully automated with motorised stage. Fluorescence and phase contrast. Long distance lenses. | Solent Scientific chamber with adaptor for multi-well plate. Other adaptors available on request. | 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. Long distance lenses suitable for use with normal TC dishes and plates |
GFP3 | Inverted | Blue, Green and Red. Cyan and Yellow available on request. | Nikon TiE stand. DS-Qi2 sCMOS camera with wide field of view. Fully automated with motorised stage. Perfect Focus System. Fluorescence and phase contrast. Long distance lenses. | Oko-Lab cage incubator with adaptors for multi-well plates, 35 mm dishes and chambered coverslips. | 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. Long distance lenses suitable for use with normal TC dishes and plates. Perfect Focus System ensures that the sample remains in focus over long periods. |
Super-resolution Microscopes
| Microscope | Upright or Inverted | Laser Lines | Key Features | Live Imaging | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elyra | Inverted | 405, 488, 561, 642 | Zeiss Elyra PS.1 with Axio Observer Z1 stand. Andor iXon Du-897 EMCCD for PALM. PCO Edge sCMOS for SIM. Motorised stage and piezo focus. Single-band filter turret and optional dual-band filter turret for high speed dual channel imaging. 3D SIM and 3D PALM capabilities. | Tokai-Hit stage-top incubator with adaptors suitable for 35 mm dishes and chambered coverslips. | Structured Illumination Microscopy, PALM and dSTORM, Total Internal Reflection (TIRF) microscopy |
| GFP4 | Inverted | 405, 488, 561, 642 | Visitech vt-iSIM and Nikon TiE stand. Hamamatsu Orca Flash4.0 v3 camera for vt-iSIM. Andor Zyla for wide-field imaging. Motorised stage and piezo focus. | Oko-Lab cage incubator with adaptors for multi-well plates, 35 mm dishes and chambered coverslips. | Instant SIM that gives a live structured illumination image without processing. Further resolution possible with deconvolution. Wide-field. |
| N-STORM | Inverted | 405, 488, 561, 647 | Nikon N-STORM and Ti stand. Andor iXon Du-897 EMCCD camera for STORM and dSTORM. Astigmatic lens for 3D STORM. Zyla sCMOS camera for wide-field imaging. | Solent Scientific cage incubator with adaptors for multi-well plates and 35 mm dishes. | Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) and direct STORM. TIRF microscopy. Wide-field time-lapse. |
| STED | Inverted | 405, WLL | Leica TCS gSTED 3X with DMI6000B stand. 3x Hybrid and 2x PMT detectors. Motorised stage. High speed Z Galvo focus. 532, 660 and 775 nm depletion lasers for multi-colour STED. 3D STED capability. | Life Imaging Services Box cage incubator system with adaptors for 35 mm dishes and chambered coverslips | Multi-colour STED and confocal microscopy. 3D STED. Tiling of large specimens. |