Expertise
Imaging Platforms
Keywords - Light Microscopy: Confocal microscopy | Superresolution microscopy | Widefield microscopy | TIRF | Live cell imaging | PALM | STORM | Structured Illumination Microscopy | Deconvolution
The diversity of systems available offers a range of techniques. We offer training in the use of the systems and advice for:
Brightfield, DIC, phase contrast imaging
Fluorescence Imaging
Fast Live cell Imaging
Multi colour Imaging
Photoactivation/ Photobleaching (e.g. FRAP)
TIRF imaging
Deconvolution
Super-resolution Microscopy (SIM/STORM/PALM)
Light Sheet Microscopy
Image Analysis
If you are interested in using microscopy for a project please get in touch and we will try to answer your questions, e.g. about which microscope to choose, appropriate sample preparation and relevant image analysis.
Applications
Keywords - Biological: Cell Biology | Developmental Biology | Immunobiology | Plant Biology | Zebrafish | Drosophila | Microbiology
The confocal microscopes in the LMF have been successfully employed to help understand wing development in fruit flies, the development of cilia in zebrafish and the structure of cancer cells.
Disk-scanning confocal microscopes offer a powerful compromise between the speed of widefield systems and the ability of point-scanning confocal systems to remove out of focus haze. Many of our spinning disk users work with zebrafish at various stages of development.
Our Widefield systems are regularly used to image the biochemistry of live yeast and fungi, as well as the dynamics of cell replication and cell membrane mechanics.
The SMLM system has for example been used to study membran protein distribution in mammalian cells and to look at division proteins in bacteria, using dSTORM and PALM approaches.
Sample Preparation
Keywords - Biological: Immunolabelling | Immunofluorescence | Live Cell
Data Analysis
Keywords - Software: ImageJ | FIJI | Imaris | Volocity | Arivis | Softworx Deconvolution
Shared Access
The microscopes are available to all members of the Faculty of Science. Users from outside the faculty with no access to the type of microscopy needed are welcome as are external user. Please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
Users must be registered with the LMF and have received training on the system they wish to use before they can gain access to the booking system.
Further information about access can be found on our webpage.
Funding
In November 2014, the LMF moved into a new purposely designed facility in Firth Court. The move was co-funded by the Wolfson Foundation as part of the Imagine project, a University initiative that aims to bring together disciplines that seek to develop and promote imaging science and to foster new relationships between researchers from different faculties and departments. The move was prompted by the acquisition of two new state of the art super-resolution microscopes and a lightsheet imaging system, which further enhanced the capabilities of the LMF and offer users access to some of the latest and most cutting edge systems on the market.