Advanced Microscopy

Light Microscopy

The combination of histochemical staining and light- or fluorescent microscopy are a powerful technique to investigate the expression patterns of specific target proteins in tissues and/or cells.

Confocal Microscopy

A number of confocal microscopic systems are available that excel in contrast, in particular in thick specimens. A Zeiss (LSM 510) laser scanning 2-photon microscope with meta-system is present delivers magnificent images. Furthermore, two Perkin Elmer Ultra View spinning disc systems are routinely used (Vox and ERS) that allow for high-speed imaging of for instance living cells or tissues.  The latter system is specifically designed for maximal optical efficiency combined with minimal photo toxicity and photo bleaching.

Image analysis

For many research topics quantification of histological data is required. Software-assisted analysis of images is essential to achieve reproducible results in a time-efficient manner. Over the years the Biomedical Microscopic Imaging core facility has tested various analysis platforms and has built up extensive expertise related to this field. At present, analysis, reconstruction and quantification of images is performed with Velocity software (Perkin Elmer) or Cell P (Olympus).