Our facility offers the following services:

  • Confocal microscopy
  • 2-photon microscopy
  • Laser capture microdissection
  • Conventional fluorescence microscopy
  • Spinning disk confocal microscopy

Our Leica TCS SP2 instrument is configured for both confocal and multiphoton microscopy, and has been upgraded to include the acoustico-optical beam splitter (AOBS) imaging system. The Leica is equipped with a spectral scanner system with a spectral range of detection from 400 to 850 nm. The system includes both inverted and upright microscopes and the scanhead of the confocal can be moved between microscopes. The Leica inverted microscope includes a heated stage and C02 chamber for live-cell imaging experiments.

Excitation sources on the TCS SP2 AOBS system are fiber coupled to the scan head and include: HeNe (633 nm/10mW), red diode (568/20mW), and Ar (458/5mW, 476/5mW, 488/20mW, 514/20mW) lasers. Our system is also configured for 2-photon microscopy, using a Coherent Mira 900 femtosecond laser directly coupled to the scan head, and we provide 2-photon microscopy services using the Leica inverted microscope stage. Using confocal or 2-photon microscopy, the instrument is capable of FRET analysis with CFP/YFP or other pairs. It can also be employed for photobleaching (FRAP) experiments or with photoactivatible GFP.

Our facility also offers laser capture microdissection equipment and expertise, using an Arcturus PixCell IIe system. This service is useful to many investigators for cell capture and genomics (microarray) experiments. See protocol here.

An upright microscope, equipped with brightfield, differential interference contrast (DIC) and standard epifluorescence is available for use; image capture is available. Please contact Dr. Kathy Yee (617-636-6913; Kathleen.Yee@tufts.edu) for information about using this microscope (see reserve instrument link below).

Spinning disk confocal microscopy and deconvolution microscopy are available through the labs of Drs. Stephen Bunnell (Pathology) and Robbie O'Connor (Infectious Disease). Please contact Dr. Lovy-Wheeler (617-636-3795; Alenka.Lovy_Wheeler@tufts.edu) for information about accessing these microscopy services.

The Perkin Elmer spinning disk confocal employs the Yokogawa CSU-10 spinning disk and an ORCA-ER CCD camera, enabling the rapid acquisition of full-field images. Three lasers provide 5 excitation lines: 442nm (HeCd, 14mW), 488nm (Ar, 35mW), 514nm (Ar, 43mW), 568nm (KrAr, 14mW), and 647nm (KrAr, 14mW). However, the laser lines that can be used concurrently are limited by the available beamsplitters:

  • 442 and 514     (CFP, YFP/FITC)
  • 488, 568, and 647     (GFP/FITC, DsRed/mRFP1/TRITC, and various far-red dyes)
  • 442, 514, 568, and 647     (CFP, YFP/FITC, DsRed/mRFP1/TRITC, and various far-red dyes)

Please follow the links below for additional information about TNIF services.