The Leica DMIRBE allows bright field imaging of of both opaque and transparent samples. Both phase contrast and differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy produce high-contrast images of transparent specimens such as living cells, microorganisms, thin tissue slices, and sub-cellular particles (e.g., nuclei and other organelles). The Epi-conformation allows imaging of both transparent and opaque samples in fluorescence mode. This feature is particularly useful for users imaging fluorescently-labeled proteins or DNA on non-transparent surfaces (e.g., patterned silicon or gold-coated substrates).
The Leica is motorized and automation is available through the Open Lab Software for time-lapse experiments. A Hamamastu ORCA II air-cooled CCD camera allows measurement of kinetic and dynamic processes in biological systems. The microscope is also equipped with an integrated z-axis drive (100 nm per step) which can be used to perform 3D reconstruction on cells via optical sectioning and image deconvolution.
The instrument is integrated with a Renishaw Raman Microscope for Raman measurements.
