Spectral Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

• Subject Area: Plant Sciences
• Term: Funded in 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 427482902

The here proposed spectral confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) shall replace our CLSM system, which was purchased in 2002. Moreover, it shall disburden another system purchased in 2012. Recently, we had to shut down the old instrument after a defect of the detector. Since, we have a very severe bottleneck in CLSM at the faculty and a number of researchers have enormous problems to image and measure all their samples (especially the main users of the three departments Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Developmental Biology and Neurobiology). The available instrument is very flexible and sensitive, but the user load is currently so high that not even the main users, which are involved in two CRCs and a DFG-graduate school, are able to image and measure all their samples. Therefore, as replacement purchase, we propose a CLSM system, which can complement the existing system and additionally allows the various research groups of the above-mentioned departments to perform all their necessary experiments. Moreover, after instruction, we would also like to allow occasional users of other research group to image and measure their samples on demand. Therefore, a highly flexible CLSM system is required, which allows users to image and measure fixed samples and living material at different wavelengths. The instrument shall also allow FRET and FRAP measurements. Due to the large number of different specimen and user, important criteria are fast imaging speed, flexibility, high sensitivity, low phototoxicity and a user-friendly system.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Spektrales Konfokales Laserrastermikroskop
• Instrumentation Group: 5090 Spezialmikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Universität Regensburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Thomas Dresselhaus