Leica Stellaris 8 Confocal Microscope

Conventional confocal microscopy is a powerful tool for special-temporal cellular and tissue imaging, typically with up to four fluorophores. Recently, there has been an increasing demand for multiplex, high-resolution analysis. However, with most currently available microscopes it is technically impossible to detect fluorophores in the near-infrared (NIR) range, thus limiting the multiplexing capability. The enhanced detection is required not only for detection in the near- infrared (NIR), but also because this allows the use of directly conjugated antibodies when the choice of species in which any primary antibodies were generated is limited. Establishing a user- friendly multiplex imaging system to complement genome-wide, next-generation sequencing analysis is an unmet need. An additional limitation of conventional confocal microscopy is its resolution. Several recently developed confocal scanning microscopes are beginning to meet this need by combining superior detectors and advanced computational deconvolution to enhance both multiplexing options and resolution. Both multiplexing capability and resolution are particularly imperative for the major users on this proposal who focus on developmental and stem cell biology to deepen our understanding of human disease and develop innovative treatments. We therefore propose to acquire a Leica Stellaris 8 microscope that allows multiplexing by providing excitation and enhanced detection in the NIR, as well as computational super- resolution.