60 Report on the Benefits of a Broad Accessory Range
JPK Instrument’s philosophy in the development of their instrumentation range has been to provide unlimited possibilities to their users. Working in scanning probe microscopy (SPM), a researcher may start with a basic system such as an atomic force microscope. Perhaps they would then add from a menu of operation modes to enable the study of specific sample properties. JPK has a central platform known as the NanoWizard® Their BioAFM head is now complemented by optional heads such as the CellHesion® and ForceRobot®
AFM. 200
300.
The important question is how is this beneficial to users? More and more laboratories are sharing instrumentation not just between individual research groups but also between scientific disciplines.
This is illustrated by the research work of Dr Kay-Eberhard Gottschalk. Dr Gottschalk has recently become leader of the new nanostructure research group at the University of Greifswald within the Centre of Humoral Immune Reactions in Cardiovascular Disease (ZIK HIKE), sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Science under their innovation initiative ‘Unternehmen Region’. Dr Gottschalk's research work started with theoretical structural biology, but he later expanded his research by force measurements, a subject which he has published a number of papers reporting on single molecule force spectroscopy on living cells and interactions between proteins or cells and surfaces.
Speaking about JPK's range of SPM accessories approach, Dr Gottschalk said: "The research of my lab is at the interface of medicine and physics. Our collaboration partners are physicians, which report on immune reactions after treatment with certain medications. They want to know the molecular reasons. To answer their questions, I need instruments that offer me the powerful opportunity to combine very sensitive measurements of protein interactions on cells with cutting edge microscopic approaches. The unique design of the JPK instruments allows me to integrate the insight gained by life-cell microscopy with the measurement of adhesive forces down to the single molecule level, even when working with samples from patients. This will push our understanding of the immune response to bio-therapeutics to a new level."
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MICROSCOPY & MICROTECHNIQUES
Explore Life in All Dimensions
Imaging dynamic processes in living cells is challenging, even for the most precise and reliable microscopy systems. The Leica DMI6000 B inverted microscope stand is at the heart of our widefield or confocal systems for live cell imaging, offering unsurpassed stability inherent to its design. But even the most robust microscope will be susceptible to sudden changes in temperature, for instance when a climate chamber is opened during an experiment to apply a drug to the specimen. This can result in out-of focus images during time-lapse recordings. Leica Microsystems has now developed a Leica DMI6000 B with Adaptive Focus Control (AFC) for researchers who demand consistent multidimensional imaging.
The fully automated AFC is based on the reflection of a light beam at a suitable surface (e.g. petri dish) to keep the distance between the objective and the specimen constant. Available for both widefield (including TIRF) and confocal applications, AFC dynamically regulates the focus position, whenever or wherever the experiment requires it. For more flexibility, AFC can also be operated in stand-alone mode and requires neither a PC connection nor additional external control devices.
Intuitive and Adaptable Control for Microscopy Workflow and Digital Documentation
Olympus has introduced labSens – a complete documentation package for clinical and research imaging. The software provides a workflow-oriented user interface, ensuring that the key functions for digital imaging, analysis and documentation are clearly presented and easy to use. This is achieved by seamlessly combining the new Olympus BX3 clinical microscopes with digital-imaging cameras, as well as automation components, to provide the perfect conduit between the user, the process and the microscope system.
The labSens software programme meets all of the essential image-acquisition, processing and discussion needs of the modern clinical laboratory. Full support for the new Olympus BX3 clinical microscope systems and digital-imaging cameras, coupled with an easy-to-use graphical interface that enables the definition of the most important functions, allows users to develop a complete imaging solution to streamline their workflow. This results in the ideal interactive environment for acquiring, displaying, commenting on, measuring and handling images.
If the coded nosepiece is installed on the microscope the objective in use is automatically detected by the software so that the scale bar is set and recorded correctly in the meta data of an image. Once captured, labSens provides users with a number of essential image-processing tools including rotation and cropping.
The labSens software carefully manages images and associated meta-data, enabling the user to query existing data. This capability can be expanded further with the dedicated labSens Patho solution, which offers excellent data security and full traceability. labSens works with other standard software programmes, enabling the user to send images by email from within labSens, as well as to retrieve images easily from structured databases.
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The underlying technique works for all selected contrasting methods and does not involve the acquisition of images. This ensures that cells remain viable for longer, delivering reliable results even over extended periods of time. The intelligent automation of the system provides the ultimate in ease of use, automatically optimising all settings for each objective. With the option to effectively combine AFC with a high-speed digital auto focus, cells that change their morphology and shape during the course of the experiment are now easy to follow, while minimising exposure to light.
The new Leica Adaptive Focus Control is available for Leica DMI6000 B, Leica AM TIRF MC, Leica TCS SP5 II, Leica TCS SP5 II DS, and Leica TCS SP5 MP.
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New Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging Device for General Ophthalmologists
Optos plc unveils the 200Tx™, its newest ultra-widefield retinal imaging device. Designed specifically for general ophthalmologists and vitreo-retinal specialists (who focus on treating diseases of the vitreous and retina) the device supports the diagnosis, analysis, documentation and monitoring of ocular pathology in the periphery of the retina. The Optos 200Tx was exhibited for the first time at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting.
Extending Confocal and Multiphoton Functionality
Olympus has introduced advanced laser sharing and dual port SIM scanning capabilities to its FluoView FV1000 confocal laser scanning and FluoView FV1000MPE multiphoton laser scanning microscopes. Providing effective and efficient methods of increasing flexibility, these modules enable users to perform a diverse range of applications, without the need to invest in additional imaging systems.
The innovative Olympus laser sharing dual microscope system enables users to utilise the same IR laser on two MPE systems. As a result, researchers can carry out a diverse range of applications, linking multiple multiphoton systems based on inverted and/or upright microscopes.
The addition of a second laser port in the Olympus FV1000 SIM scanner increases the versatility of the Olympus confocal and multiphoton systems. For example, it becomes possible for researchers to use IR and visible light simultaneously for stimulation
experiments. In addition, both lasers can be used alternately for ultra-fast multi-point scanning applications.
The Olympus FluoView FV1000MPE range provides excellent deep imaging for live and thick slice samples. Based on the unique Olympus FluoView FV1000 confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (cLSM), the MPE system is available in four models, providing the highest penetration depths on the market. Each model uses prechirped IR femtosecond pulsed lasers and non-descanned detectors to cover every mutiphoton excitation image required. The ‘Multiphoton exclusive system’ is designed to achieve deeper imaging with minimum complexity, whereas the ‘Basic system’ enables multiphoton deep imaging and confocal imaging with a visible laser. The ‘Stimulation system’ is equipped with two sets of laser scanners for confocal and simultaneous stimulation using multiphoton absorption. As the most advanced model, the ‘Twin system’ incorporates the unique SIM scanner, providing an independently controllable, fully integrated second IR laser for simultaneous multiphoton imaging and laser manipulation.
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The 200Tx is the first imaging device that provides visualisation of ultra-widefield autofluorescence changes to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the pigmented cell layer just outside the neurosensory retina that nourishes retinal visual cells. The study of such cellular changes is central to the management of diseases such as age related macular degeneration (AMD). The 200Tx offers multiple wavelength imaging including options for colour, red-free, fluorescein angiography and autofluorescence, each of which can reveal different pathologies. The device also provides simultaneous pole to periphery views of more than 80% or 200 degrees of the retina in a single capture, helping physicians discover evidence of disease and guide treatment decisions.
A promising study in AMD led by Srinivas Sadda M.D, of the Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California using the 200Tx device was recently presented at the American Academy of Retina Specialists Meeting. The study found that 76% of eyes in patients with AMD had peripheral abnormalities, and the addition of auto-fluorescence capability to retinal scanning technologies was seen to aid in the detection of AMD.
The 200Tx will also be used to determine the frequency and significance of peripheral retinal abnormalities as part of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2), which is being conducted to determine methods of slowing the progression of vision loss from AMD.
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INTERNATIONAL LABMATE - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 - MICROSCOPY & MICROTECHNIQUES
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