Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopes (CLSM)

BIC facility is equipped with a diverse array of confocal microscopes, offering various configurations and capabilities to cover a wide range of imaging needs and research applications.

Leica Stellaris 5 X. - BIC
Leica Stellaris 5 X. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Leica Stellaris 5 X

The Leica Stellaris 5 X is an advanced line scanning confocal microscope equipped with a tunable white light laser and 5 tunable HyD S detectors for fast imaging with optimized excitation and detection wavelengths. It has the Lightning module for enhanced resolution imaging (down to 120 nm), as well as the TauSense module which allows for separation of overlapping signals, or signal and autofluorescence.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts: slides
  • Lasers: 405, 448 nm and white light laser tunable between 485nm and 780nm. 
  • Fluorescent channels: from blue (DAPI) to near infra-red (Cy7).
  • Objectives: 10x Air, 20x Air, 20x immersion (W, Sil, Gly, Oil), 40x Gly, 63x Oil.
  • Acquisition Software: LAS X for Stellaris.
  • Special Features: 
    • Leica Navigator for slide navigation and acquisition of tiles & positions (including focus maps and stitching).
    • White laser and tunable HyD S detectors allow imaging with optimized excitation wavelength and detection range.
    • Lightning module: software based adaptive multicolour super-resolution and deconvolution. 
    • TauSense module: A set of tools that utilize fluorescence lifetime information to for example remove autofluorescence.
    • Photon counting mode: provides more accuracy for quantitative imaging.
Stellaris 5 LIA confocal microscope is a simplified version of the Leica Stellaris 5 X. It comes equipped with four fixed laser lines. Included in BIC's equipment.
Leica Stellaris 5 LIA. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Leica Stellaris 5 LIA

Stellaris 5 LIA confocal microscope is a simplified version of the Leica Stellaris 5 X. It comes equipped with four fixed laser lines, as opposed to the tuneable white laser found in the 5 X model. Additionally, the Leica Stellaris 5 LIA does not incorporate the TauSense module, but it does include the Lightning module, enhancing resolution and reducing noise for improved imaging quality.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-60mm dishes
  • Lasers: 405, 488, 561, and 638 nm
  • Fluorescent channels:  from blue (DAPI) to red (Cy5)
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 20x Glycerol, 63x Water, 63x Oil
  • Acquisition Software: LAS X for Stellaris
  • Special Features:
    • Leica Navigator for slide navigation and acquisition of tiles & positions (including focus maps and stitching)
    • Lightning: software based adaptive multicolour super-resolution and deconvolution
    • Photon counting mode: provides more accuracy for quantitative imaging
The LSM980-Airy confocal microscope features a Airyscan 2 detector, enabling the acquisition of super-resolution datasets with up to twice the resolution of a standard confocal system and a faster performance.
Zeiss LSM980-Airy. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Zeiss LSM980-Airy

The LSM980-Airy confocal microscope features an Airyscan2 detector, enabling the acquisition of super-resolution datasets with up to twice the resolution of a standard confocal system and a fast performance. The system supports swift overview creation, simplifying the process of locating specific regions of interest. It can perform online spectral fingerprinting, which is spectral separation of fluorochromes with overlapping spectra in real time. This confocal system is also equipped with a stage-top incubator to keep elevated temperature of live samples. It has a motorized x/y-stage and can therefore acquire automatic tile/mosaic images.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-100mm dishes
  • Lasers: 405, 445, 488, 561, 639nm
  • Fluorescent channels: from blue (DAPI) to far red (Cy5)
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 40x Water and 63x Oil
  • Acquisition Software: Zen Blue v3.2
  • Special Features:
    • Advanced tiles & positions (including focus maps and stitching)
    • Stage-top incubator with temperature control for live cell imaging accommodating slides or dishes<=60mm
    • Airy2 module for quick super-resolution imaging
    • Tunable detectors for better spectral resolution
    • Reflection Fluorescence
    • Spectral unmixing and online fingerprinting
    • Axiocam 305 monochromatic camera for widefield imaging
The LSM900-Airy confocal microscope features a Airyscan 2 detector, enabling the acquisition of super-resolution datasets with up to twice the resolution of a standard confocal system..
Zeiss LSM900-Airy. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Zeiss LSM900-Airy

The LSM900-Airy confocal microscope features an Airyscan2 detector, enabling the acquisition of super-resolution datasets with up to twice the resolution of a standard confocal system and a fast performance. It has a motorized x/y-stage and can therefore acquire automatic tile/mosaic images of dyes/fluorochromes within the full visible range (blue to far red).

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-100mm dishes
  • Lasers: 405, 488, 561, 640nm
  • Fluorescent channels: from blue (DAPI) to far red (Cy5)
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 40x Water and 63x Oil
  • Acquisition Software: Zen Blue v3.1
  • Special Features:
    • Advanced tiles & positions (including focus maps and stitching)
    • Airy2 module for quick super-resolution imaging
    • DIC contrast in transmitted channel
The LSM880 confocal microscope can perform automatic z-stack imaging, tiling, and spectral separate dyes/fluorochromes with overlapping spectra.
Zeiss LSM880. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Zeiss LSM880

OBS! This microscope lacks lasers to excite green fluorochromes (like Alexa488 or EGFP). The Diode (405nm ) laser is close to the end-of-life and therefore has low power. 

The LSM880 confocal microscope can perform automatic z-stack imaging and tiling. It features blue, red and far red lasers.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-100mm dishes
  • Lasers: 405, 561, 633nm
  • Fluorescent channels: from blue (DAPI) to far red (Cy5)
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 40x Oil 
  • Acquisition Software: Zen Black v2.1
  • Special Features:
    • Possibility of collecting tiles and positions
    • Tunable detectors for better spectral resolution
    • Lambda mode
    • Reflection Fluorescence
    • Online fingerprinting
The LSM800-airy microscope has an Airyscan 1 detector which allows acquisition of datasets with up to 2X better resolution than a regular CLSM confocal.
Zeiss LSM800-Airy. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Zeiss LSM800-Airy

The LSM800-Airy microscope has an Airyscan1 detector which allows acquisition of datasets with up to 2X better resolution than a regular CLSM confocal. It can acquire automatic tile/mosaic images of dyes/fluorochromes within the full visible range (blue to far red). It can also perform spectral separation of fluorochromes with overlapping spectra.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-100mm dishes
  • Lasers: 405, 488, 561, 640nm
  • Fluorescent channels: from blue (DAPI) to far red (Cy5)
  • Transmitted channels: brightfield, DIC
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 63x Water and 63x Oil
  • Acquisition Software: Zen Blue v2.6
  • Special Features:
    • Advanced tiles & positions (including focus maps and stitching
    • Tunable detectors for better spectral resolution
    • Airy1 module for super-resolution imaging
    • DIC contrast in transmitted channel
The LSM800 microscope has a similar configuration to the Zeiss LSM 800-Airy but lacks Airyscan1 module for super-resolution imaging.
Zeiss LSM800. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Zeiss LSM800

The LSM800 microscope has a similar configuration to the Zeiss LSM 800-Airy but lacks Airyscan1 module for super-resolution imaging. It can acquire automatic tile/mosaic images of dyes/fluorochromes within the full visible range (blue to far red), perform spectral separation of fluorochromes with overlapping spectra and collect DIC images.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-100mm dishes
  • Lasers: 405, 488, 561, 640nm
  • Fluorescent channels: from blue (DAPI) to far red (Cy5)
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 40x Water and 100x Oil
  • Acquisition Software: Zen Blue v2.3
  • Special Features:
    • Advanced tiles & positions (including focus maps and stitching)
    • Lambda mode
    • DIC contrast in transmitted channel
The LSM700 can acquire automatic tile/mosaic images of dyes/fluorochromes within the full visible range (blue to far red).
Zeiss LSM700. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Zeiss LSM700

The LSM700 can acquire automatic tile/mosaic images of dyes/fluorochromes within the full visible range (blue to far red). It can also perform spectral separation to separate fluorochromes with overlapping spectra.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-100mm dishes.
  • Lasers: 405, 488, 555, 639 nm
  • Fluorescent channels: from blue (DAPI) to far red (Cy5)
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 40x Water and 63x Oil
  • Acquisition Software: Zen Black 2010
  • Special Features:
    • Motorized scanning stage accommodates slides, multiwelll plates and petri dish 35-100mm diameter
    • Possibility of collecting tiles and positions
    • Lambda mode
    • DIC contrast in transmitted channel
Olympus FV100 is a basic microscope that is capable of imaging dyes and fluorochromes throughout the entire visible range, spanning from blue to far red.
Olympus FV1000. Photo: Anna Kouznetsova

Olympus FV1000

Olympus FV100 is a basic microscope that is capable of imaging dyes and fluorochromes throughout the entire visible range, spanning from blue to far red. However, it comes with a manual x/y-stage, which limits its capacity for automated tile or mosaic imaging. A 50% reduced user fee is applicable for this system.

Specifications

  • Stage inserts for: slides/multiwell plates/35-100mm dishes
  • Lasers: 405, 473, 559, 635 nm
  • Fluorescent channels: DAPI, GFP, Cy3, Cy5
  • Objectives: 5x Air, 10x Air, 20x Air, 40x Water and 63x Oil
  • Acquisition Software: FV10-ASW v4.00.02.29
  • Special Features:
    • Resonance Scanner
    • High Dynamic Range Imaging
    • DIC contrast in transmitted channel

Choosing a microscope and where to find it

If you are interested in more details, we have compiled detailed information about our instruments. The information could be useful when choosing between different microscopes.

You are always welcome to contact us if you need further information or guidance among the microscopes.

Where to find our instruments.

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