Institute of Child Health

Confocal Microscopy Core Facility

• Home
• Using the facility
• Contacts
• Charges and conditions of use
• Instruments
  • Inverted Leica SP2
  • Inverted Zeiss LSM 710 confocal
• Planning your experiments
• Image processing and analysis 
• Training and courses
• Useful links
• BDRC Microscopes booking
• Publications
• Data storage

Confocal microscopy core facility

Laboratory services

Instruments

Inverted Leica SP2

A Leica SP2 inverted confocal microscope with a wide range of excitation lasers. The Leica SP2 uses variable spectral detection system instead of traditional emission filters.

The system has a limited number of laser lines for excitation and the dyes are limited by these. Any dye that is excited at one of these following wavelengths can be used: 405; 458; 476; 488; 514; 543; and 633 nm (check online or ask Bertrand if you are not sure which dye to use).

For multiphoton microscopy, a Femtosecond Spectra Physics Saphire/Tsunami pump laser is used.

Filter cubes for DAPI, FITC and TRITC are installed for standard fluorescence viewing prior to scanning. Transmitted light illumination is also available.

Objectives:

• Leica HC PL APO 10x NA 0.4 Dry                                            
• Leica N PLAN 20x NA 0.4 Corrected Dry                                                           
• Leica HC PL APO 20x NA 0.7 Dry
• Leica HCX APO L 40x NA 0.8 Water                       
• Leica PL APO 63x NA 1.4 Oil
• Leica HCX PL APO CS 100x NA 1.25 Oil           

Location:

Room 153
1st floor Philip Ullmann Wing
Ext : 2247

Advantages:

• Z sectioning
• Good for fixed samples
• Live imaging (single XY position, gases and temperature controlled)
• Spectral imaging available
• FRET and FRAP
• multiphoton imaging (deep tissue penetration)
• One XY point experiment (no XY motorised stage)

Cost:

• User operation £20 per hour
• User operation £10 per hour of overnight time-lapse
• Staff operation £50 per hour
• Training session £50 per hour