Confocal Microscopy & Imaging

Overview

Confocal Microscope and Imaging is located in The Department of Cell Biology in the Basic Science Building at Downstate Medical Center. It consists of a SP5 Leica, a Biorad Radiance 2000 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, and an Image Analysis Workstation, and is available to all TRAINED members of the Downstate Medical Center community as well as to other researchers by appointment.

The Leica SP5 laser scanning confocal system

This system is used for advanced multi-channel fluorescence and live-cell applications. This system has three lasers generating six lines for fluorescent excitation (458, 476, 488, 514, 543, 633nm). The system is equipped with an inverted microscope. Fluorescent emissions are split into a spectrum using a prism and arecollected through three separate tunable emission slits/photomultiplier tubes. A parallel transmitted light channel can be collected. The system has the ability to perform spectral scanning, six-dimensional acquisition/display (x, y, z, t, emission wavelength, field) and time-lapse capabilities. Objectives are: 10x dry, 20x dry, 40x oil immersion.

Features of the Biorad Radiance 2000 Confocal Microscope

Argon laser, green Helium Neon laser and a red laser diode allow viewing of FITC, CY2, CY3, TRITC/Texas Red and/or CY5 like fluorophores.
Transmitted Light Detector for differential interference contrast (DIC; Nomarski) imaging (these images can be superimposed on the confocal fluorescence images and can be used to locate non-fluorescent structures).

The Zeiss Axioskop 2 Upright Microscope with mechanical stage and motorized z-axis 10X (dry), 20X (dry), 40X, 63X and 100X (oil immersion) objectives. Polarizers and prisms for the 20X, 40X, and 63X objectives allow DIC viewing by eye or via laser scanning.

• Simultaneous and sequential multi-channel acquisition.
• Scanning up to 750 Hz.Pentium III PC computer running Windows NT 4.0 with Biorad LaserSharp 2000 software for image viewing and processing.
• 3D rendering of data in stereo or rotating projections
• Zip Drive and CD-ROM writer for permanent data storage. Files can also be transferred to your lab computers via Ethernet. 

Scheduling Confocal Use

Call, e-mail, or stop by to discuss your experiments before you use the Confocal Microscope.

Dr. Gladys Teitelman
Director of Confocal Use
Professor, Department of Cell Biology

Phone: 718-270-2950.
email:gteitelman@downstate.edu