Our Team
Microscopy
Our microscopy core provides system operational training that targets different levels of users. Examples of these systems include superresolution microscopes, fluorescence microscopes and laser dissection microscopes.
Staff in charge: Ms. Crystal Lai and Ms. Angelie Shui
Confocal Imaging Systems
The SP8 confocal microscope is an inverted laser microscope for three-dimensional imaging of subcellular structures. Users can obtain ~130nm resolution images by using the built-in deconvolution software. Short-period live-cell imaging is also available with the setup of an incubation chamber.
The LSM 980 confocal microscope is an inverted laser microscope for three-to-four-dimensional imaging of subcellular structures in live or fixed specimens. Along with AiryScan 2, high- and super- resolution images can be obtained at high speed without sacrificing signal-to-noise ratio.
The LSM 710 confocal microscope is an inverted laser microscope for three-dimensional imaging of subcellular structures. Users can obtain ~200nm resolution images and perform fast scan live-cell imaging (up to 120 frames/sec) or FRET with the setup of an incubation chamber.
This system provides deep imaging in biological tissues. It comes with a multi-photon laser and four high sensitivity NDD detectors for capturing rapid in vivo responses.
Laser Microdissection Systems
The PALM MicroBeam laser microdissection microscope is a precise and contact-free laser microdissection system for isolating high-purity tissue, DNA, RNA and protein from fixed or live materials.
Live Cell Imaging Systems
Celldiscoverer 7 (CD7) is an automated inverted microscope with an integrated darkroom for the observation of live and fixed samples. Users can perform high-content phase-contrast and fluorescence imaging (done via LED excitation) on CD7.
The Andor spinning disk module with the Zeiss inverted microscope enables fast confocal imaging (~30 frames per second) for live cell imaging. The system can also perform FRET and photoactivation/ -conversion studies.
Super-resolution Imaging Systems
The multi-mode AFM system is a surface and dimensional microscope for understanding the characteristics of materials and molecules at nanoscale, by allowing the visualization of the surface topography or structure of a sample.
The prototype Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscope (STORM) enables two-channel single-molecule detection, with resolution ranging from 20-50nm.
The Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Super Resolution Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope enables the investigation of diffraction-limited cellular structures. Its multiphoton function allows deep penetration into very thick specimens.
Elyra 7 is a super-resolution microscope that enables the examination of fast cellular processes in live samples – in large fields of view, in 3D, over long time periods, and with multiple colors.
Widefield Imaging Systems
Unbiased stereology is recognized in biological research as the best method for quantitative histology. It is used to accurately quantify e.g. the number of cells, the length of fibers, and the area and volume of different biological structures or regions.
The slide scanner can generate a high volume of reproducible data (including brightfield and fluorescence images) - unattended and over long periods of time.
The Nikon fluorescence microscope is a wide-field inverted microscope with an sCMOS camera. It allows users to perform either epi-fluorescence or transmitted light imaging.
The CODEX System is made up of a bench-top fluidics platform and a widefield microscope to automate high parameter image acquisitions - users can image 40+ protein markers in tissue samples at single cell resolution with its 20X objective.
Offline Analysis Software
Aivia is an image analysis software with maching learning capabilities that can generate robust and reproducible segmentation results from 2D and 3D datasets, helping researchers save time on quantification. Special applications like neuron tracing and 3D object tracking are also available in this software.