Our DeltaVision Ultra High Resolution machines allow high-resolution epi-flourescent imaging in both fixed cell and live cell settings. We have one DeltaVision Elite microscope and one DeltaVision Core microscope which allows cutting-edge imaging settings.
The machines are equipped with both air and oil objectives and allow FRET and FRAP measurements.
In order to access the DeltaVision Elite microscope, please contact Dr Fabrice Caudron at f.caudron@qmul.ac.uk
If you would like to use the DeltaVision Core microscope, please contact Professor Viji Draviam at v.draviam@qmul.ac.uk
Room 6.16 in Queen Mary's G.E.Fogg Building houses several Leica microscope systems for bright field and fluorescent imaging. DIC imaging set up is available on two microscopes.
A Leica DMRA2 upright epifluorescent microscope with colour QIClick camera. Differential interference contrast (DIC) imaging for unstained samples.
Fluorescent light source CoolLED pE-300white White light Fluorescent Illumination System
For image acquisition Velocity 6.3.1 software is available on an Apple computer.
Objectives: 1.6x, 5x, 10x, 20x, 40x, 40x oil, 100xoil, plus additional multiplying magnification at x1.25 or x 1.6.
A Leica DMRA2 upright epifluorescent microscope with monochrome Hamamatsu Orca-ER camera.
Differential interference contrast imaging for unstained samples.
Fluorescent light source CoolLED pE-300white White light Fluorescent Illumination System.
For image acquisition Volocity software is available on an Apple computer.
Objectives: 2.5x, 10x, 40x, 40x oil, 63x (water), 100x oil, plus additional multiplying magnification at x 1.25 or x 1.6.
Leica DMIL inverted microscope and Leica S8APO dissecting microscope with shared Leica DFC420 C colour camera.
Image acquisition is available using Leica Application Suite 2.8.1 on a Dell computer.
Fluorescent light source Leica EL 6000 unit.
Image Processing Software
Apple iMac computer with Imaris software (version 7.6.5) and ImageJ software for image processing and analysing software.
Room 1.28 in Queen Mary's Joseph Priestley Building houses a Leica TSC SP5 confocal microscope with one photon and two photon imaging capability. Training in use of the confocal microscope, provided by the facility manager, is required before new users can work independently in the facility.
The microscope is a Leica DMI 6000 CS inverted microscope with a motorized XY-stage and Z-drive motor focus on the microscope stand (100 nm step size) as well as a SuperZ Galvo stage (1500 µm travel range) for higher speed and accuracy. The SP5 uses an acousto-optical tuneable filter (AOTF) to control the excitation laser light and an acousto-optical beam splitter (AOBS) instead of filter blocks to send the excitation laser light to the sample and to reflect the emitted light from the sample into the scan head. This is a more light efficient way than using glass di- or multichroic mirrors and filters. This arrangement allows simultaneous data acquisition at five individually tuneable spectral bands.
The system uses five photomultiplier tube detectors (PMT) to detect fluorescent emission and an additional transmission light PMT detector (bright field or DIC settings available). The SP5 is a tandem scanner system, which means that it has both a conventional scanner and a fast (8000Hz) resonant scanner for high speed imaging. The system has a selection of lasers that produce nine potential excitation lines for 1-photon imaging. The fully tuneable 2-photon Spectra Physics Mai Tai laser operates within range from 690nm to 1040 nm.
Lasers available for 1-photon confocal microscopy
Laser available for 2-photon confocal microscopy
The facility offers its users the option of 2-photon microscopy to image their samples.
2-photon microscopy uses two photons in the infrared spectral range instead of one photon in the visible spectral range to excite fluorophores. Due to less scattering of infrared light, this microscopy technique can image much deeper into the tissue than conventional “single”-photon techniques. In addition, two-photon microscopes excite fluorophores only in the plane of focus and thus provide z-resolution comparable to confocal microscopy.
The laser available in the facility is Spectra Physics Mai Tai HP Ultrafast pulsed laser with tuneable excitation range from 690nm to 1040nm.
The average power/alternative wavelengths
>500 mW at 690 nm>1.35 W at 710 nm>1.35 W at 920 nm>300 mW at 1040 nm
Objectives: The confocal microscope system includes five objectives as listed bellow:
1.HC PL APO 10x 0.4 CS
2.HCX PL APO 20x 0.7 corr lambda blue, (glycerol, oil)
3.HCX APO 40x 1.25-0.75 oil CS
4.HCX PL APO 63x 1.4-0.6 oil lambda blue
5.HCX PL APO 63x 1.3 glycerol (ne=1.45) corr CS
Facility users have access to Apple iMac computer with Imaris (version 7.6.5) image processing and analysing software. ImageJ software is also available.
Training in use of the Leica and Confocal microscopes, including the completion of an induction session provided by the facility manager, is required before new users can work independently in the facility. Please contact Michaela Egertova on 020 7882 4733 or email m.egertova@qmul.ac.uk to arrange.