Light Microscopy

The light microscopy team provides access to state-of-the-art light microscopy instruments. We assist through consultation, training, and project collaborations.

We have over 14 imaging systems for advanced microscopy, and we advise users during the design and execution of their imaging projects. We provide support with selecting the most suitable imaging techniques, microscope systems, and setting up imaging experiments.

We offer our expertise in imaging techniques across different scales, such as

  • Laser confocal microscopy (single point scanners and spinning disk) including FRET, FLIM and FCS capability
  • Super-resolution microscopy (STED, SIM)
  • 2-photon microscopy
  • Light sheet microscopy including large cleared tissue imaging
  • Wide-field microscopy
  • Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy 
  • Live cell imaging
  • Photomanipulation (FRAP, Photoconversion)
Confocal microscopy image of a kidney sections

Confocal Microscopy

Confocal microscopes have the ability to eliminate out-of-focus light resulting in optical sectioning with high contrast. This enables users to acquire high-resolution images of three-dimensional biological structures. In our facility, confocal microscopes are used to study structures within cells, tissues and organisms, and observe dynamic biological processes. 

2 photon image of a cell

Multi-Photon and Ligh-Sheet Microscopy

When it comes to large samples or deep imaging, multi-photon and light-sheet microscopy can be well suited. Non-linear excitation restricts fluorescence to the laser focus and near-infrared illumination minimizes absorption and scattering, therefore multi-photon microscopes can be used for imaging in thick tissue, both live and fixed.

Light-sheet microscopy uses gentle and fast illumination, and has proven to be very useful in live imaging and used in fields such as developmental biology. Light-sheet microscopes are also the optimal solution to image large cleared tissue specimens.

Super-resolution image of mitochondria in purple and filaments of tublin in green

Advanced Imaging Techniques

Super resolution microscopy methods are widely used in biomedical research to visualize nanometer scale molecular resolution (STED), others to perform three-dimensional multi-color fast live-cell (SIM) imaging.

Powerful tools like FLIM, FRET and FCS are used to study structure and biophysical processes in living cells and can be used to measure protein proximity (FRET), polymerization, relative concentration of different molecules, separation of different labels with spectral overlap and ion concentration.