Center of Excellence

Karolinska Institutet

Nikon has partnered with the Live Cell Imaging (LCI) core facility at Karolinska Institutet to create a Center of Excellence and collaborate in exploring the performance of Nikon microscopes, and the NIS-Elements software in the fields of live sample imaging, and light microscopy education.

Live Sample Imaging

The director of this Centre of Excellence, Doctor Sylvie Le Guyader, has specialized in how cells navigate toward their target within a complex environment. After her PhD in Singapore studying how the developing eye connects to the brain in zebrafish embryos, Dr. Le Guyader explored the molecular mechanisms of cell migration in the laboratory of Prof. Staffan Strömblad at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. In 2008, she used her experience with light microscopy to create a core imaging facility at Karolinska Institutet. The LCI core facility quickly gained extensive expertise with long-term imaging of a plethora of live samples, amongst which individual cells migrating along molecular trails, nerves growing long distances within the body, or sensitive embryos dividing at the start of their development. Today, the LCI core facility with its strong link to the nearby Karolinska Hospital has grown to support around 50 different groups with projects spanning research in immunology, cancer, development, retina degeneration, cardiovascular diseases, and dentistry, to name just a few.

Education

Reliability and reproducibility of imaging data are at the heart of the core facility activities. The LCI core facility is a strong advocate of the use of pedagogy in light microscopy teaching and training, as a key to improving the reproducibility of scientific data. To this end, the LCI core facility team has developed a solid end-user training routine aimed to enable researchers to make educated decisions while working at the microscope. The LCI core facility team also runs a yearly online doctoral course where students apply to their microscope and project what they have learned during each course day.

Dr. Sylvie Le Guyader is involved in multiple international efforts to improve training at microscopy core facilities around the world.

Contact

CofE Director

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Address

Live Cell Imaging Unit
Dept. of Biosciences and Nutrition
Karolinska Institutet
141 83 Huddinge, Sweden

Website

Karolinska Institutet

Systems Available

ECLIPSE Ti2-E Inverted Microscope with AX R Confocal

The Nikon AX confocal microscope system's impressive 25 mm field of view not only reduces the number of images required for stitching together large images but also significantly decreases image acquisition times. This makes it particularly effective for high-throughput imaging applications. Furthermore, the combination of a high-speed resonant scanner and this large field of view form an ideal platform for high-resolution screening assays, dramatically reducing the time needed for analyzing multiple samples and conditions. This system is especially advantageous in applications where rapid, large-scale, and detailed imaging is crucial.

ECLIPSE Ti2-E Inverted Microscope with AX R Confocal and NSPARC Super-Resolution Detector

The Nikon AX confocal microscope system's impressive 25 mm field of view not only reduces the number of images required for stitching together large images but also significantly decreases image acquisition times. This makes it particularly effective for high-throughput imaging applications. Furthermore, the combination of a high-speed resonant scanner and this large field of view form an ideal platform for high-resolution screening assays, dramatically reducing the time needed for analyzing multiple samples and conditions. This system is especially advantageous in applications where rapid, large-scale, and super-resolution imaging is crucial. The newly developed Nikon Spatial Array Confocal (NSPARC) detector extends the capabilities of the AX system by revealing unseen details in every image, while array detection pushes the boundaries of resolution beyond the theoretical limits.

ECLIPSE Ti2-E Inverted Microscope with CrestOptics X-Light V3 Confocal

Nikon's ECLIPSE Ti2-E inverted microscope configured with the CrestOptics X-Light V3 spinning disk is ideal for high-end microscopy applications, offering optimized performance for various tasks such as fast cell dynamics in live specimens and effective optical sectioning in cleared tissues. The system leverages micro-lens technology for homogeneous illumination, which accelerates the process of qualitative and quantitative imaging on large samples.

ECLIPSE Ti2-E Inverted Microscope with CrestOptics X-Light V3 Confocal and DeepSIM Super-Resolution

Nikon's ECLIPSE Ti2-E inverted microscope with the CrestOptics X-Light V3 spinning disk confocal and DeepSIM super-resolution module provides enhanced imaging of sub-cellular structures and to examine live-cell dynamics, with an XY resolution of 100 nm, without requiring any special sample preparation or dyes.

ECLIPSE Ti-E Inverted Microscope with Yokogawa CSU-X1 Confocal, TIRF and SPECTRA X Light Engine

The CSU-X1 field scanning confocal spinning disk system from Yokogawa Life Sciences, integrated with Nikon’s ECLIPSE Ti-E inverted microscope, allows users a flexible and powerful system for a wide range of imaging applications. Field scanners are renowned for their low dosage, specimen-friendly characteristics, making them ideal for live cell or organism applications.

ECLIPSE Ti-E Inverted Microscope with MMI CellCut and CellEctor

Nikon's ECLIPSE Ti-E inverted microscope with MMI CellCut and CellEctor systems offers a highly precise and gentle method for microdissection, making the microscope ideal for isolating samples without degradation. This ensures meaningful downstream analyses in various fields such as genomics and proteomics.