Expertise
Imaging Platforms
Keywords - Light Microscopy: Confocal microscopy | Widefield microscopy |Live cell imaging | Atomic Force Microscopy | High spec colour bright field imaging | Raman imaging | TCSPC-FLIM
Keywords - Electron Microscopy: Scanning EM (LaB6) | Cryo-SEM
The facility currently has nine confocal microscopes: (i) Zeiss LSM880 upright (ii) Zeiss LSM700 upright (iii) Cairn-Nikon Spinning disk inverted (iv) Leica SP8 upright with incubation. (v) Leica SP8 upright with WLL source (vi) Leica-Renishaw SP8-FLIMan comprising FLIM-confocal-Raman capabilities and fast resonant scanner (vii) Leica SP8 inverted with incubation and fast resonant scanner (viii) Leica SP8 upright workhorse basic (ix) Nikon AXR inverted. Additionally, there are several widefield micro and stereo-imaging systems, metrology imaging systems and a JPK Atomic Force Microscope. Electron microscopy comprises a cryo-SEM service that can go from fresh tissue to fractured, coated cryo-preserved material ready for imaging in as little as 20 minutes. The SEM is a Zeiss EVO HD15 fitted with Quorum PP3010 cryo-apparatus (with various sputtering options). For non-cryo samples a Safematic CCU-010 sputter coater is available.
A custom-built scanning-light-sheet microscope has recently been completed and is designed for rapid vertical imaging of whole roots, seedlings and plant organs. It is further optimised for whole-plant FRET analysis. The light sheet system also incorporates equipment for mechanical manipulations.
A new bespoke microfluidics platform comprises a Kloe Dilase 650 laserwriter with associated equipment for cleanroom-level manufacturing of fluidic devices.
Applications
Keywords - Biological: Cell Biology | Plant Biology | Microbiology | Bio-materials
Core applications within the lab are:
Mechanical studies at the tissue and cell levels; Plant developmental biology; Plant-microbe interactions; Phytohormones and signalling; Studying molecular rhythms e.g circadian; Stem cells; FRET Biosensor development.
Sample Preparation
Keywords - Biological: Immunofluorescence | Live Cell | Freeze Fracture
Data Analysis
Keywords - Software: ImageJ | FIJI | Metamorph | AxioVision
One of the core strengths of the facility is working alongside computer scientists to develop a range of tools applied to live imaging in the plant sciences: 3D visualisation, cell segmentation and quantification from large tissue datasets, lineage analysis of large 4D datasets. Such data are then fed in to computer models.
Shared Access
The facility is currently used by the Sainsbury Laboratory and departments across Cambridge where charging regimes are identical for all users (list of charges available upon request). Charges cover maintenance costs and consumables for the systems. For access from outside Cambridge please contact the facility manager.
Funding
The facility is funded and maintained by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation.