Objectives

• Laser scanning microscopy with single and multi-photon excitation
• Fluorescence microscopy
• Microspectroscopy
• Fluorescence lifetime imaging, time-resolved spectroscopy 

Principle

Laser scanning microscopy is based on raster scanning of a sample by focused laser beam. The sample is illuminated through a microscope objective by the laser beam being scanned by means of a pair of galvanometric mirrors. The optical response is collected by the same objective, then it is spectrally selected and registered. The confocal scheme of registration ensures depth discrimination, leading to the possibility of 3D imaging. The signal is recorded point-by-point and the whole image is reconstructed digitally. It is possible to register several images of the same object for different emission bands and excitation wavelengths and than to superimpose them for analysis. The use of multi-photon excitation with femtosecond laser confines the region of testing to a very small area near the objective focus thus reducing background signal and making more details visible.

Advantages

• Measurement of optical properties of samples down to 100 nm scale
• 3-D rendering of a sample
• Ability to register fluorescence decay curve for each 3-D point of a sample

Configuration

Laser scanning microscope system Zeiss LSM 510 NLOLight Sources   CW multiline Argon ion laser (458, 477, 488, 514 nm), CW He-Ne laser (543 nm),Femtosecond broadband laser Spectra-Physics Tsunami (tuned 700-1000 nm, average pulse duration is 100 fs) for multi-photon excitation.Techniques available in transmitted and reflected light Brightfield and darkfield microscopy; Phase contrast, differential interference contrast, modulation contrast; Polarization microscopy;Fluorescence microscopy with wide-field excitation by mercury lamp lines may be used for thin samples. Microspectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) based on single photon counting.Technical charcteristics  Image resolution  2048 x 2048 pixelsTypes of optical response  Fluorescence, harmonic generation, reflected and transmitted signal, Raman lines, etc.).

Applications

• Conformation analysis of biological objects, including monitoring drug and virus transport from intercellular space into the cells.
• Study of physical characteristics of semiconductor nanoparticles.
• Nondestructive testing of various materials at micro- and nano-level.
• Micromachining, laser microsurgery, micromanipulation.

tel.: +375(0)17 2840436

Macrophage

Fluorescently labeled S-layer patches on the surface of metallic fiber