Instructions for starting the system
Instructions for using the software
Instructions for shutting down the system
Equipment:
Nikon Diaphot 200 microscope
Princeton Instrument camera
Sutter Lambda 10-2 shutter and filter wheel (directly coupled to the microscope, fiber coupling available)
Hoffman Modulation Contrast is available for 10X and 40X.
Eppendorf transjector and injectman for injecting cells.
Filters:
The filters in the Sutter excitor filter wheel are:| Filter | % Transmission | Filter block |
|---|---|---|
| 340 nm. | - | Fura |
| 380 nm. | - | Fura |
| open | 100% transmission | Fret, FITC, TRITC |
| 360 nm. | - | Fura, Triple (DAPI) |
| 0.1 ND | 80% transmission | Fret, FITC, TRITC |
| closed | 0% transmission | |
| 0.3 ND | 50% transmission | Fret, FITC, TRITC |
| 570 nm. | - | Triple (Texas red) |
| 0.6 ND | 25% transmission | Fret, FITC, TRITC |
| 490 nm. | - | Triple (FITC, GFP) |
Filter blocks
FURA block: dichroic (beamsplitter) and emission filter for dual FURA excitation. Chroma #72000 (no excitor filters in block).
TRIPLE block: dichroic (beamsplitter) and emission filters for DAPI, FITC and Texas Red Chroma #51006 (no excitor filters in block).
FITC block: excitor 480/30; beamsplitter 505 DCLP; emission 535/40 Chroma #31001
TRITC block: excitor 540/25; beamsplitter 565 DCLP; emission 605/55 Chroma #31002
FRET block: 440/20 nm excitor filter for CFP and a 460drlp dichroic (beamsplitter). This block has no emission filters - you must use the emission filter wheel which has filters for CFP and YFP. Since there is no emission filter in the block, do not look through the eyepieces with this block in place.
| Filter | |
|---|---|
| closed | |
| 480/30 nm. | |
| 535/25 nm. | |
| closed | |
| closed | |
| closed | |
| closed | |
| closed | |
| closed | |
| open |
1. Turn on the xenon lamp before anything else is turned on. Check the number of hours on the xenon lamp - let me know when it is at 400 hours.
2. Turn on the main switch and then turn on the equipment (left to right) that will be used. The shutter needs to be on to use just the software. Leave the focus motor off if it won't be used.
3. Turn on the computer at the Dell box.
4. Log on as keck/user if you plan to access other computers in the Keck Center. Otherwise it doesn't matter.
5. Start the MetaMorph software:
Set up the filters and optics:
1. Open "Devices/Illumination". Select Illumination Device #1. Open and close the shutter to make sure the Sutter is communicating with the software. If "Lambda-2 deivice not responding" comes up then push the reset button on the Lambda-2.
2. Select the filter cube on the microscope. The Fret, FITC (blue) and DAPI/FITC/Texas Red filter blocks are currently in the microscope.
3. Choose the excitor (wavelength) filter in the software:
4. Choose the emission (intensity) filter:
Select the objective and focus:
Check that the light is going to the eyepieces and not the camera. Turn off the overhead lights. Open the shutter in the software - there should be light at the sample. If not, check the shutter behind the microscope. There are also two neutral density filters (without knobs) behind the microscope that are usually out.
1. Focus through the microscope then use the slider on the right side of the microscope to send the light to the camera.
Set up the acquisition parameters:
1. Select "Acquire from digital camera".
2. Define the acquisition settings - exposure time, regions, binning, auto scale, subtract background, and correct shading.
3. The camera may/not be parfocal with the microscope focus. Select "digital camera video control" to focus on the small monitor (quicker) or the focus in the "aquire from digital camera menu" to focus on the large computer screen.
Collect and Save images:
1. Expose and Transfer
2. Adjust exposure time and repeat if necessary
3. Save the image to a zip or jaz disk
4. Close the image.
1. Exit the Meta software
2. Select shutdown from the Start menu at the bottom left corner of the computer screen.
3. Wait until the screen goes dark
4. Turn off the individual switches on the power strip from right to left (main switch last).
5. Turn off the xenon lamp
6. Cover the microscope only after the lamp(s) have cooled
If the message "Lambda-2 not responding" comes up then push the reset button on the Sutter Lambda-2 box. In version 3.5 or 4.0, the program will look for the Ludl focus motor a few times. It eventually gives up and loads the program.
After selecting filters, when the shutter is opened in the software there should be light at the sample. If not, check the shutter behind the microscope. There are also two neutral density filters (without knobs) behind the microscope that are usually out.