Light Microscopes

Nikon Ti2

Fully motorized (multi-position nosepiece, filters, condenser, z-motor, x/y stage) inverted microscope with 25 mm field of view. This FAST resonant (15 fps full 2K FOV with up to 720 fps at 2048x16 pixels) or galvanomic scanners (up to 8192x8192 pixels for Nyquist resolution at lower magnifications and the larger FOV). This scope has Nikon’s  Perfect Focus System.

NSPARC

Next Generation Super-Resolution. The Nikon Spatial Array Confocal (NSPARC) detector utilizes an ultra-low noise photon counting detector array that can collect an image at each scanned point. Final resolutions of < 100 nm are possible using any of the 8 laser lines on the AX R confocal system.

Lasers and detection filters 

408, 445, 488, 514, 561, 594, 640 and 730nm excitation lines allowing for multiplexed imaging of many more fluorescent reporters.

Detector

Four channel GaAsP PMT detector modules, including spectral detection along plus Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) transmitted light.

Objectives

4x, 10x, 20x, 20XW, 40x oil, and 60x oil immersion objectives. The system is compatible with many of the UIC’s extensive collection of additional Nikon objectives.

Live cell imaging

Tokai-Hit environmental controls (temp, humidity, CO2).

Software

Nikon Element AI  software has built-in multidimensional (multi-XY,Z,T, multichannel) experiment capabilities, including AI analysis and image enhancement tools. The JOBS module allows customization in setting up non-orthogonal experiments with multiple paths and dimensions. Analysis of data can be done even in real-time during the experiment, and the direction of the experiment can even be changed based on the results of the analysis. Fully automated collection and analysis capabilities with JOBS. The UIC staff is excited to help train you from the most basic image acquisition to the full complement of our instruments capabilities.

Nikon Ni

Features include Nikon’s motorized Ni microscope body. The CFI60 objectives for the Ni system are 10x, 20x, 40x oil, and 60x oil, all with DIC capabilities. An LED illumination system for fluorescence, and filters for widefield using DAPI, GFP, and Tex Red filters. There is a Prior motorized x/y stage and color camera for tiling of large areas of interest in brighfield, DIC, fluorescence, and confocal modes.

Laser lines

There are 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, and 640 nm laser lines for excitation

Detectors

Dual GaSP detectors with continuous filters for spectral imaging

Three photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs), plus transmitted light detectors, Nikon DS-U3 color camera

Transmitted light filters

ND2, ND4, ND8, ND16, Green, and Cool Blue

Widefield image capture

Tiling in brightfield, DIC, DAPI, AF488, AF568 and CY5 fluorescence

Includes Elements modules for 2D and 3D Tracking and Measurements, Ratio and FRET imaging

Objectives

Nikon Ti-E

The Nikon Ti-E Motorized Microscope with Ibidi live cell environment chamber features include Nikon’s patented PFS Perfect Focus III focus lock technology. 100 Watt Illumination system for transmitted and LED-reflected light applications.  Fluorescence accessories for widefield applications for DAPI, GFP, CFP, YFP, RFP and Cy5...and many others. 

Light source

SPECTRA III LED light source lines (nm): 390, 440, 475, 510, 555, 594, 639, 748

Software

Nikon Elements including JOBS, deconvolution, time measurements, automated collection of slides, dishes, and plates.

Resources

• How to adjust objectives with correction collars
• How deconvolution can improve optical image data

Live cell imaging

• Live cell imaging reagents
• Ibidi Environmental Stage with CO2 and O2 regulation
• Ibidi dishes and chambered slides
• We also have the Braintree Scientific Automated Syringe pump to perfuse solutions! Holds 6 syringes up to 50cc.

Objectives

New Lambda coat anti-reflective coated objectives at 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x* NAMC Contrast, 60x, and 100x DIC magnifications (*correction collars).

Caliber I.D. RS-G4 Ribbon Scanning Confocal

The RS-G4 has been designed with a compact, high-speed resonance scanner and scanning stage with macro and micro-imaging optics that allow the acquisition of in-vivo and ex-vivo images from slides to cleared whole tissue mounts in the micrometer to centimeter scales.

In addition, ex-vivo tissue sections can be imaged in both reflectance and fluorescence modes. Its 360-degree rotation of the scan head allows greater flexibility and precise angling for acquiring images of large tissue, organs, or whole animals. With a single nose piece, the instrument is essentially agnostic as to what type of objectives can be used. We routinely use our Nikon Plan Apo 10xC/0.5 NA (WD: 5.5 mm) and the Nikon CFI90 20xC/1.0 NA (WD: 8.2 mm) glycerol immersion objectives for imaging cleared tissue.

Equipment Specifications

We have objective options from 1x to 100x, including the Nikon CFI90 20xC/1.0 NA (WD: 8.2 mm) objective designed for cleared samples. Resolution is determined by which objective is used with individual frames (1024 x 1024 pixels) captured at up to 25fps.

• Supports air, glycerol, water, and oil immersion objectives
• Fast, large-area mosaic creation up to 120 x 80 mm x 11mm
• Simultaneous and sequential imaging for reflectance and fluorescence
• Experiment acquisition setup for snapshots, mosaics, time, Z-series, and multi-points

Laser lines

Wavelengths include: 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, 640 nm, 785 nm

Objectives

Leica LMD6500

Laser microdissection uses a microscope to visualize individual cells or cell clusters. Regions of interest are selected by software, excised from the surrounding tissue by a laser, and collected for subsequent molecular analysis.

• Training video using the LMD6500 on JOVE
• LDM works best when using PEN membrane slides. The PEN membrane on glass slides are here
• Videos on the LDM technique can be found here

Transmitted Light Filters

ND2, ND4, ND8, and ND16, Green and Cool Blue

Laser lines

Wavelength: 355 nm, Max. pulse energy: 70 µJ, Pulse frequency: 80 Hz

Detector

LMD CC7000 color camera

Objectives

Filters

Leica MZ FL III

Sort, manipulate, and image your specimens with the stereo objective in 3D, with large fields of view, large working distances, and an outstanding depth of field. Simply switch to the HR (High Resolution) micro-objective and analyze the quality of the gene expression immediately and without delay via an optical light microscope at a resolution of 0.7 µm (1320 pairs of lines/mm) and an 800x magnification.

Detector

Leica DFC420 C camera. Digital 5 MP color camera with Peltier cooling system to capture high-resolution images for analysis, documentation, and presentation.

Objectives

Filters

Nikon Ti2

Fully motorized (multi-position nosepiece, filters, condenser, z-motor, x/y stage) inverted microscope with 25 mm field of view. This FAST resonant (15 fps full 2K FOV with up to 720 fps at 2048x16 pixels) or galvanomic scanners (up to 8192x8192 pixels for Nyquist resolution at lower magnifications and the larger FOV). This scope has Nikon’s  Perfect Focus System.

Live Cell Imaging 

Ibidi stage top incubator and environmental controls enabling researchers to perform live cell imaging in plates, slides and dishes

LED light source excitation

390, 440, 475, 510, 555, 575, 637, 748 nm

Widefield camera

Teledyne Photometrics Prime 95B sCMOS

Confocal Imaging lasers and detection filters

408, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation lines

Widefield Emission Filters

Widefield illumination and  filters for a variety of fluorochromes including the Opal dyes UV, CFP, YFP, GFP, dsRed, TRITC, CY5 imaging

Objectives

Nikon Ti-E

Nikon Ti-E Motorized Microscope featuring PFS Perfect Focus III focus lock technology. LED Illumination systems for both transmitted and fluorescence light applications. Fluorescence accessories for widefield applications for DAPI, GFP, RFP, and Cy5. 

SIM Structured Illumination System-Using high-frequency Structured Illumination, the Nikon N-SIM can achieve an image resolution of 120 nm. With a temporal resolution of up to 0.6 sec/frame, N-SIM enables super-resolution time-lapse imaging capture of dynamic molecular interactions in living cells.

Laser lines

(A1R): 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, 640 nm

Lasers (N-SIM): 405 nm, 488, nm, 561 nm, 640 nm

Detectors

The A1R has four PMTs for confocal detection, two of them GaAsPs, with double the sensitivity of traditional PMTs. There is also a transmitted light detector and a 32-channel spectral detector.

N-SIM: Hamamatsu FLASH 4

Software

The Nikon Elements software has the JOBS package that can automate image collection for high-content screening of plates.

Objectives

Nikon FN1

The Nikon A1RMP confocal is connected to an upright Nikon FN1 microscope featuring a Plan Apo LWD 25x water immersion, NA 1.1 objective most suitable for imaging deep (it has a 2 mm working distance) into a fixed or living sample. In addition to laser scanning confocal imaging, conventional, and resonant visible laser confocal imaging, a Spectra-Physics 15W Mai Tai eHP tunable IR laser and six, three GaAsPs (epi direction) and three conventional PMTs (trans direction) non-descanned GaAsP detectors allow multiphoton visualization of multiple fluorophores located deep within the specimen. The system has both galvonomic (4K) and resonant (1k, 8Khz, up to 720fps) scanners that can be used in concert simultaneously for photoactivation and MP imaging. A encoded Prior motorized stage and 200 µm Piezo objective motor can be used for tiling or multiple-position imaging.

The system is also equipped with Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) detection.  SHG doesn't involve the excitation of molecules like other techniques such as fluorescence microscopy. 

This instrument was funded in 2012 by the Minnesota Partnership in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic Foundation, Rochester, MN.

Laser lines

405, 457, 488, 514, 561 and 637 nm

Objectives

Filters - Multiphoton

Filters - MP Non-Descanned Detector (NDD)

Cleared Tissue LightSheet

The AxL Cleared Tissue LightSheet (AxL CTLS) is an advanced, fully automated macro zoom imaging system designed for large-scale, high-resolution visualization of whole organs and small animals. It features high-NA apochromatic objectives, dual-sided light sheet illumination, and custom excitation optics. Leveraging patented axially swept light sheet microscopy (ASLM), it delivers an exceptionally thin, extended, and uniform light sheet for large-scale high-resolution imaging.

Lasers

488 nm, 514nm, 561 nm, 638 nm

Detector 

Hamamatsu Orca Fusion BT

Objectives

Incucyte SX5

The Incucyte SX5 Live-Cell Analysis System is a real-time cell monitoring and surveillance system that automatically captures and analyzes images of living cells around-the-clock for days, weeks, or months, while cells remain undisturbed inside a standard tissue culture incubator.

Vessel Compatibility

Your cells must be in a compatible vessel to utilize the Incucyte SX5. Please review the list below to see if your vessel is compatible.

UIC Incucyte SX5 compatible vessels

System Features

• 3 interchangeable vessel trays for over 600 vessels types, with up to 6 microplates in the instrument for parallel for unattended time-lapse live cell imaging
• Up to three fluorescence channels (Green/Orange/Near IR) plus phase contrast images collected in a single experiment. Includes a long wavelength, low phototoxicity NIR channel with specific reagents available for all channels for assays in apoptosis, cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, spheroids, and cell and organellar cycles.
• 4x, 10x, and 20x objectives on an automated turret
• 3 interchangeable vessel trays for over 600 vessels types, with up to 6 microplates in the instrument for parallel for unattended time-lapse live cell imaging

Nikon AZ100 Multizoom

Motorized X/Y stage for capturing multi-position or panoramic images, combined with motorized Z-axis for z-stack acquisition, enabling 3D imaging and extended depth-of-field.

Detectors

Photometrics ES2 greyscale 12-bit camera for fluorescence

Nikon DS-Ri1 color 12-bit camera up to 4076x3116 pixels for full-color imaging

Filters

Fluorescence (UV, CFP, GFP, YFP, dsRed, and CY5 filter sets ) and transmitted light with DIC

Software

Nikon Elements AR software for multi-dimensional data collection

Objectives

1X to 8X Optical Zoom Range. Total Magnification: 10x to 400x

Filters

Nikon NiE

Nikon NiE fully motorized (multi-position nosepiece, filters, condenser, z-motor, x/y stage) upright microscope with 25 mm field of view. This resonant (15 fps full FOV with up to 720 fps at 2048x16 pixels) and galvanomic scanners (up to 8192x8192 pixels for Nyquist resolution at lower magnifications or larger FOVs).

Lasers and detection filters 

408, 445, 488, 514, 561, and 640  nm excitation lines allow for multiplexed imaging of DAPI, CFP, YFP, GFP, FITC, dsRed, TRITC, CY5, and many more fluorescent reporters.

Detector

Four-channel GaAsP PMT detector modules, including spectral detection along with transmitted light. 

Objectives 

2x, 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x, 60x, 100x including water, silicon and oil immersion options.

Equipped for Differential Interference Contrast (DIC)

Software

Nikon Element ER software has built-in multidimensional (multi-XY, Z, T, multichannel) experiment capabilities. The JOBS module allows customization in setting up non-orthogonal experiments with multiple paths and dimensions. Analysis of data can be done in real-time during the experiment, and the direction of the experiment can even be changed based on the results of the analysis. Fully automated collection and analysis capabilities with JOBS.

Nikon Eclipse Ti2

The A1si system is mounted on a Nikon Eclipse Ti2 inverted scope equipped with Perfect Focus System, fluorescence filters with DIC optics and a widefield Hamamatsu Flash 4 camera. The A1si's highest pixel resolution mode is up to 4096 x 4096 pixels. 

Laser lines

405 nm diode at 38mW, Argon multiline laser 457/477/488/514nm at 40mW, 561 nm diode at 40mW, 638 nm diode at 10mW

Detectors

4 PMTs, a Transmitted light detector, and a 32-channel spectral detector

Live cell imaging

There is also an IBIDI environmental stage top incubator system for long-term live cell imaging.

Software

Nikon NIS Elements imaging software is used to control acquisition and analysis. Nikon JOBS will permit investigators to create complex automated image acquisitions with intelligent analysis.

Objectives

Widefield Filters

Confocal Filters

Nikon Eclipse 90i

The Nikon Eclipse 90i is a fully motorized upright microscope configured to image in transmitted light, DIC, and epi-fluorescence modes. Fluorescence cubes are available for DAPI, GFP, RFP, and HYQ Cy5. Fluorescence illumination is provided by a Lumencor Sola Light Engine. You can do timelapse, XYZ position, Z stacks, multiple excitations or emission wavelengths, and tiling experiments. Equipped with a Hamamatsu Orca Flash 4.0 v2 CMOS monochrome camera and a Nikon D2-Fi2 color camera running on Nikon Elements software.

Transmitted Light Filters

ND8, ND32, and NCB11

Light engine

Lumencor Sola Light Engine

Detectors

This instrument has two cameras:

1. Hamamatsu Orca Flash 4.0 v2 (CMOS) monochromatic Camera.
2. Nikon Color DS-Fi2 CCD Camera.

Objectives

Filters

Nikon AZ100 Multizoom

The AZ100 Multizoom Macroscope with the C1si Spectral Confocal attachment makes the ultimate platform for in vivo imaging. Ideal for plant biology, developmental biology, cell biology, stem cell, and tissue research, the AZ-C1si allows the researcher to view large specimens in confocal mode. The AZ-C1si can capture fields of view up to 1cm and permits deeper confocal imaging than conventional microscopes thanks to its large working distance objectives. Whole organisms can be monitored and documented over time (for example, embryos) offering a wealth of continuous information on development or the organism’s response to experimental variables. Both conventional PMTs and Spectral detectors are installed on this instrument.

Laser lines

405 nm, 457 nm, 488 nm, 514 nm, 567 nm, 637 nm for image, co-localization, FRAP, FRET, and spectral studies.

Objectives

The system is equipped with 1x, 4x, and 5x objectives with variable optical zoom.  

Filters

Channels

Leica DMi8

Inverted laser scanning confocal microscope with both galvonomic and resonance scanners and 5 spectral internal HyD-S detectors.  

Laser lines

A fixed 405nm violet laser and pulsed white-light laser (WLL) that is tunable from 440-790nm allows for precise excitation control and multi-spectral imaging.  

Detector

The WLL and HyD-S detectors allow for Leica's patented Tau gating and separation modalities using fluorescence lifetime measurements.  

Live cell imaging

Environmental control enables long-term live cell imaging and the Leica Navigator interface streamlines stage control and multi-position high-speed tiling. 

Objectives

20x/0.7NA multi-immersion, 40x 1.25NA glycerol motCORR, 63x 1.4NA oil, and 63x 1.2NA water.