Microscopy Facility - Equipment
Confocal microscopes
Zeiss LSM880 Confocal Microscope with Airyscan Fast
A powerful laser scanning confocal system engineered for live-cell imaging with integrated environmental controls and dedicated laser lines. It elevates standard microscopy via an Airyscan detector, delivering exceptional super-resolution and rapid multi-line scanning to capture fleeting dynamic events. The microscope is equipped for advanced assays including spectral unmixing, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP).
Specifications - Confocal microscope with Airyscan
Specifications - Confocal microscope with Airyscan
Detectors
- 2 x PMTs
- 1 x GaAsP detector
- 1 x T-MPT
- 1 x Airyscan detector
Fluorescent Illumination - HXP120
Fluorescent Filter Cubes
- FS49wf
- Excitation - 365 nm
- Emission - 445/50 nm
- FS38wf
- Excitation - 470/40 nm
- Emission - 525/50 nm
- FS43wf
- Excitation - 545/25 nm
- Emission - 635/70 nm
Airy Scan Filters
- BP420-445 + BP465-505
- BP420-480 + BP495-550
- BP495-550 + LP525
- BP495-530 + LP555
- BP495-550 + LP570
- BP570-620 + LP645
Lasers
- 405 nm Diode - 30mW
- 458, 488, 514 nm Multiline argon - 25mW
- 561nm Diode - 20mW
- 594nm HeNe - 2mW
- 633nm HeNe - 5mW
Optics (confocal) - Magnification / NA / Immersion
- C APO
- 10x / 0.45 / water
- LD PL APO
- 25x / 0.80 / water/oil/glycerol
- C APO
- 40x / 1.20 / water
- C APO
- 63x /1.20 / water
- PL APO
- 100x /1.46 / oil
Experimental Methods - Confocal
- Z-stack
- Time Lapse
- Multi-position
- Tile scanning
- FRET
- Bleaching-FRAP
Leica Stellaris 8 with Digital Lightsheet (DLS)
This laser scanning confocal microscope features full environmental controls and adjustable white light lasers. High-sensitivity hybrid detectors enable photon counting for TauSense lifetime imaging. Additionally, the system features Lightning mode which applies a computational algorithm to improve spatial resolution up to 120 nm. For larger specimens, such as model organisms and organoids, the integrated DLS module provides gentle, high-speed 3D imaging.
Specifications - Confocal microscope with Digital Lightsheet
Specifications - Confocal microscope with Digital Lightsheet
Detectors
- 3x Power HyD S
- 1x Power HyD X
Fluorescent Illumination - Leica LED3
Fluorescent Filter Cubes
- LED405
- Excitation - 405/60 nm
- Emission - 470/40 nm
- GFP
- Excitation - 470/40 nm
- Emission - 525/50 nm
- DsRed
- Excitation - 546/10 nm
- Emission - 605/75 nm
Lasers
- 405nm Diode - 20mW
- 488 nm Diode - 20mW
- 561nm Diode - 20mW
- 440-850 nm White Light Laser (WLL) - 20mW
Optics (confocal) - Magnification / NA / Immersion
- HC PL APO Cs2
- 10x / 0.40 / air
- HC PL APO Cs2
- 20x / 0.75 / air
- HC PL APO oil Cs2
- 40x / 1.30 / oil
- HC PL APO oil Cs2
- 63x/1.40 / oil
Optics (Lightsheet illumination)
- HC PL FLUOTAR
- 2.5x / 0.07
- HC PL FLUOTAR
- 4x / 0.13
Optics (Lightsheet acquisition)
- HC FLUOTAR
- 5x / 0.15 IMM DLS
- HC APO
- L10x / 0.30 W DLS
- HC APO
- L20x / 0.50 W DLS
- HC FLUOTAR
- L25x / 0.95 W DLS
Experimental methods
- Confocal
- Z-stack
- Time Lapse
- Multi-position
- Tile scanning
- FRET
- Bleaching-FRAP
- TauSense
- Super Resolution (Lightning)
- Lightsheet
- Z-stack
- Time Lapse
- Compatible for cleared samples
Widefield Microscopes
Leica DM6
The DM6 is an upright microscope fitted with a monochrome camera for fluorescence and a colour camera for imaging histological samples. Widefield illumination enables gentle, rapid imaging of thin cell layers and tissue sections. Imaging of whole tissue sections can be set in Navigator mode with adjustable focus points across the specimen.
Specifications - Upright widefield
Specifications - Upright widefield
Illumination - CoolLED pE-300 White
Camera
- Leica K5 (fluorescence)
- Leica K3C (brightfield)
Filters
- 405
- 375 – 435 nm
- 450 – 490 nm
- L5
- 460 – 542 nm
- 512 – 542 nm
- RHO
- 541 – 551 nm
- 565 – 605 nm
- Y5
- 590 – 650 nm
- 662 – 738 nm
Objectives - Magnification / NA / Immersion
- HC PL APO
- 10x / 0.40 / air
- HC PL APO
- 20x / 0.70 / air
- PL APO
- 40x / 1.25 / oil
- PL APO
- 63x / 1.20 / water
- PL APO
- 100x / 1.40 / oil
Experimental methods
- Z stacks
- Tile scans
- Time series
Zeiss AxioObserver.Z1 with Apotome 2
With motorised stage and environmental controls, the Axio Observer allows for rapid fluorescent imaging of samples. The Apotome 2 structured illumination module adds optical sectioning capabilities, producing confocal-like images by reducing out of focus fluorescence in the final processed image.
Specs - Inverted widefield with environmental chamber and Apotome 2
Specs - Inverted widefield with environmental chamber and Apotome 2
Illumination
- CoolLED pE-300
Camera
- Hamamatsu ORCA Flash 4.0
Filters
- 38 GFP
- BP 470/40 nm
- BP 525/50 nm
- 45 Texas Red
- BP 560/40 nm
- BP 630/75 nm
- 49 DAPI
- G 365 nm
- BP 445/50 nm
- 50 Cy5
- BP 640/30 nm
- BP 690/50 nm
Objectives - Magnification / NA / Immersion
- EC Pl-NEOFLUAR
- 5x / 0.16 / air
- PL APO
- 10x / 0.45 / air
- LD PL-NEOFLUAR
- 20x / 0.40 / air
- PL APO DIC
- 40 / 1.40 / oil
- LD PL-NEOFLUAR
- 63x / 0.75 / air
- PL APO
- 100x / 1.40 / oil
Experimental methods
- Z stacks
- Tile scans
- Time series
- Apotome (structured illumination module)
Leica DMI6000B
The DMI6000B is situated within the University of Birmingham Research Laboratories (UBRL), Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. It is equipped with three fluorescent channels and environmental controls for live cell imaging.
Specs - Inverted widefield with environmental chamber
Specs - Inverted widefield with environmental chamber
Illumination
- HXP light source
Camera
- Leica DFL350 FX
Filters
- A4
- Excitation - 360 nm
- Emission - 470 nm
- L5
- Excitation - 480 nm
- Emission - 527 nm
- N3
- Excitation - 546 nm
- Emission - 600 nm
Objectives - Magnification / NA / Immersion
- HCX PL FLUOTAR
- 10x / 0.30 / air
- HCX PL FLUOTAR
- 20x / 0.40 / air
- HCX PL FLUOTAR
- 40x / 0.60 / air
- HCX PL APO
- 40x / 1.25 / oil
- HCX PL FLUOTAR
- 63x / 0.70 / air
Modes
- Z stacks
- Tile scans
- Time series
High-throughput Microscopes
Zeiss Axioscan 7 slide scanner
Automated slide scanner with up to 100 slide capacity, for histological or fluorescent imaging. Equipped with Colibri 7 LED module for fluorescent excitation at specific wavelengths. Automatic focus mapping adjusts focus to account for variations in sample, with tiles stitched to create single images of whole tissue sections.
Specs - Brightfield and fluorescence slide scanner
Specs - Brightfield and fluorescence slide scanner
Illumination
- Colibri 7 LED light source
LED Excitation
- 385 nm
- 423 nm
- 469 nm
- 511 nm
- 555 nm
- 590 nm
- 631 nm
- 735 nm
Camera
- Axiocam 705 (brightfield)
- Axiocam 712 (fluorescence)
Emission Filters
- 92 LED SBP
- BP 425/30 nm
- BP 525/50 nm
- BP 649/65 nm
- 112 LED SBP
- BP 425/30 nm
- BP 514/30 nm
- BP 592/25 nm
- BP 681/45 nm
- BP 788/38 nm
Objectives - Magnification / NA / Immersion
- FLUAR
- 5x / 0.25 / air
- PL APO
- 10x / 0.45 / air
- PL APO
- 20x / 0.80 / air
- PL APO
- 40x / 0.95 / air
Sartorius Incucyte S3
High-throughput, automated live cell imaging system with phase contrast and two-colour fluorescent imaging capabilities. Scheduled autofocus and repeatable positioning of objective turret under samples minimises disturbance of samples during acquisition.
Specifications - Automated live cell imaging platform
Specifications - Automated live cell imaging platform
Illumination
- Dual colour module 4614
Camera
- CCD camera
Filters
- Green
- Excitation - 440 – 480 nm
- Emission - 504 – 544 nm
- Red
- Excitation - 565 – 605 nm
- Emission - 625 – 705 nm
Objectives Magnification / Resolution
- 4x / 2.82 µm/pixel
- 10x / 1.24 µm/pixel
- 20x / 0.62 µm/pixel