Integrated Microscopy Technologies

Support Advanced Light Microscopy (ALM), Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) and Correlative Array Tomography (CAT) projects nationally

LINK to FIB-SEM support at Umeå Center for Electron Microscopy

LINK to CAT support at Center for Cellular Imaging in Gothenburg

ADVANCED LIGHT MICROSCOPY unit

The mission of the Advanced Light Microscopy (ALM) national unit is to give support with superresolution fluorescence microscopy for nanoscale biological visualisation (SIM, STED, STORM/PALM, ExM). In addition the unit support single molecule measurement and analysis with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS/FCCS/FRET-FCS), and combined with superresolution for nanoscale dynamical studies (STED-FCS). Moreover, support with light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) allow users to image live and/or optically cleared larger samples at unprecedented volumetric speed with low phototoxity. Single cell ultra-fast volumetric imaging of biological processes at high-resolution is provided by lattice light-sheet microscopy (LLSM).

Services @ ALM

Support is done to all stages of the project including (pre)planning, sample optimization, fluorescent probe selection, image acquisition, and initial post-acquisition image processing.

• Super-resolution microscopy (SIM, STED, STORM/PALM, ExM) – nanoscale cellular imaging of fixed or living samples, and cleared/expanded tissue.
• Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy – single molecule spectroscopy measurement and analysis to evaluate interaction, aggregation, mobility, dynamics.
• Light-sheet microscopy – fast optical sectioning of large volumes of organoids, organisms, cleared/expanded tissues and single cellular processes.
• Lattice light-sheet microscopy – fast high-resolution volumetric imaging of cellular processes in individual cells.

Transfer of unique knowledge to individual researchers are supported nationally, including organization of workshops and courses in advanced fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy applications and method developments.

Unit video link: https://youtu.be/mqx49azmqtYClosely connected

Methods @ ALM

SIM, STED, STORM/PALM

• Investigation of molecular architecture of sub-cellular entities.
• Organization of protein localization in cell biology with sub-diffraction resolution.

FCS/STED-FCS

• Analysis of receptor-receptor, ligand-receptor, protein-protein, protein-peptide and protein-vesicle interactions in solutions and in living cells
• Aggregation and affinity analysis at single molecule concentration levels in solutions

Light-sheet / Lattice Light-sheet

• Morphogenesis, Embryogenesis and Organogenesis (e.g. in Zebrafish)
• 3D cell culture imaging using spheroids, tissue and organotypic culture
• Imaging optically cleared/expanded samples (e.g. CLARITY, DISCO, ExM)
• Single cell fast volumetric imaging of biological processes

Equipment @ ALM

• PALM/STORM. Zeiss Elyra 3D PALM.
• STED. Leica SP8 3X STED with FALCON FLIM/FCS
• SIM. Zeiss Elyra 3D SIM
• AIRY2/FCS. Zeiss LSM980
• FCS. Zeiss LSM780
• Light-sheet. Zeiss Z.1
• Lattice light-sheet. Zeiss LL7

Support from the ALM unit

If you are interested in using the advanced light microscopy unit, please register in the national project portal to submit your application.

International users may also apply through the Euro-BioImaging project portal (from 2021).

Gallery