For all questions related to light microscopy please contact:
Louise Howell (Light Microscopy Facility Manager)
Emma Westlund (Microscopist and Image Analyst)
We can both be contacted on: LightMicroscopySutton@icr.ac.uk
Our facility is equipped with microscopes for all types of tissue and cell analysis which can be operated independently after a short introduction.
We are happy to offer technical support and can advise on experimental design. We have image analysis software for both brightfield and fluorescent images and can provide training in to how to use this.
The facility contains the following equipment.
Zeiss LSM980 Airyscan 2 - confocal laser scanning microscope built on a fully motorised Axio Observer 7 inverted microscope stand with environmental chamber for control for temperature and CO2 and uses Zen blue 3 acquisition and analysis software. It has a fast multiplexed Airyscan 2 detector which allows super-resolution imaging (1.7x increase in spatial resolution compared to confocal) at faster speed. It is suitable for imaging fixed cells/tissues and live cell imaging/time courses, photo-manipulation techniques such as FRAP, imaging in multiple positions and stitching of large areas.
Zeiss LSM700 - confocal laser scanning microscope on a motorised inverted microscope (AxioObserver Z1) with stage top incubation for temperature and CO2 control of samples. Therefore, it is possible to view live cells in tissue culture dishes and multi-well plates, in addition to fixed samples on slides. Time course experiments can be carried out.
Zeiss/Metasystems automated fluorescence and brightfield scanning system - automated system for the unattended detection and analysis of signals in cells and tissue sections based on the scanning platform Metafer 4. Utilises a Zeiss Axio Imager Z2 - upright fully motorised microscope.
Zeiss Axio Scan.Z1 – Automated Brightfield and Fluorescence slide scanner with 100 slide capacity.
Nanozoomer-XR C12000 - High throughput automated Brightfield and Fluorescence slide scanner with 320 slide capacity.
Opera Phenix Plus - Spinning disc high content imaging and analysis system
Akoya PhenoCycler Fusion (CODEX) - ultrahigh plex spatial phenotyping system
CytoSMART Lux3FL - automated fluorescence live cell imaging device for benchtop or to easily place inside cell culture incubators.
Image analysis computers
In addition to the equipment listed above, the following software is available in the facility.
Specialist software:
Zen blue 3.4 software - for Zeiss LSM980 Airyscan machine control and image analysis.
Zen 2009 software - for Zeiss LSM700 machine control and image analysis.
Harmony software - for analysis of images acquired on the Opera Phenix plus high content system.
Metacyte - finds and identifies nuclei or cells based on morphologic criteria, automatically stores position data, acquires fluorescence signals within objects from different focal planes and in up to 6 colour channels.
In Situ Imaging System software – for manual capture, processing, archiving and analysis of single plane or Z-stacked fluorescence images.
Tissue FISH module - for automated analysis of cell signal in tissue sections. Includes optional pre-marking of regions of interest and dedicated tools for interactive and automated separation of cells.
V-slide software and VSViewer – digitises slides in brightfield and/or fluorescence.
Zeiss Zen Intellesis with Zen image analysis modules - machine learning based segmentation software with image analysis modules.
Zen 2.3 - for editing and viewing virtual slides from the Zeiss Axio Scan Z1 slide scanner.
Definiens Tissue Studio software - advanced image analysis software for brightfield and immunofluorescent images of tissue and cells.
Axiovision software version 4.1 – image capture software.
Various open source software - such as Fiji/ImageJ and QuPath.
Duolink Image Tool – image analysis software to quantify Duolink (proximity ligation assay) signals and cell nuclei.
Welcome!
