Project Details
Projekt
High resolution confocal microscope for characterization of materials and long term time-lapse studies
Subject Area
Chemical Solid State and Surface Research
Term
Funded in 2019
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 432000323
Current challenges in macromolecular and materials chemistry lie in control, regulation and directed self-assembly of molecular and colloidal building blocks to achieve structures of increased complexity and functionality. Such systems will answer open scientific questions and resolve materials engineering problems in the areas of information technology, energy storage and medical engineering. Phenomena in dynamic material systems are often diffusion-limited and occur over the course of minutes to hours. To be able to study these systems the chemistry department of Ulm University requires a confocal microscope with high resolution and stability for long-term studies.Systems under investigation will range from molecules to colloids, which self-assemble into ordered structures or complex and pre-programmed architectures. Triggers will be incorporated, which enable disassembly of the structures or degradation of the individual building blocks. Diffusion of fluorescently labeled biomolecules or caged ions into porous structures, vesicles and cells will be investigated. Finally, systems for biological imaging and drug delivery will be developed and the release kinetics will be studied with high temporal precision.Confocal microscopy will allow non-intrusive imaging without interfering with the system and seamless temporal resolution from sub-seconds for molecules and colloidal in Brownian motion to hours and days for near equilibrium assembly and slow release or long term degradation systems.
DFG Programme
Major Research Instrumentation
Major Instrumentation
Hochauflösendes konfokales Mikroskop für Langzeitmessungen
Instrumentation Group
5090 Spezialmikroskope
Applicant Institution
Universität Ulm
