Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope
CLSM (Leica TCS SP2)
The CLSM in the Center allows users to perform three-dimensional microscopy of fluorescently
labeled specimens. The small pinhole in the CLSM can detect light that originates
from a thin optical section. This feature is particularly well suited for the examination
of thick specimens (up to 100 micrometers) for which out-of-focus light, using conventional
microscopy, would obscure structural details. A three-dimensional and stereoscopic
image can be generated by collecting a series of optical sections through the thickness
of the specimen.
The CLSM can monitor intracellular ion concentration, dynamic morphological events
of living cells, interactions between proteins, protein diffusion, etc. It is also
a useful tool for materials scientists interested in the topological characterization
of surfaces.
Laser Capture Microdissection
LCM (P.A.L.M. Microbeam)
The principle of laser cutting is a locally restricted ablative process without heating
of the adjacent material and results in a clear cut gap between your desired sample
area and the surrounding tissue. The laser capture in the Center has following features
- the only fully non-contact laser-based micromanipulation and microdissection technology
on the market;
- clear cut gap avoids contamination from neighboring tissue;
- no interference from the laser with your biological material;
- facilitate and accelerate micromanipulations;
- suitable for most routinely prepared cell and tissue samples;
- ideal starting point for highly sensitive downstream analyses;
- isolation and even recultivation of living cells.
LCM is ideal for excising a specific tissue from frozen sections from which RNA can
be isolated to measure the expression of a given gene in that tissue.
