Laser-scanning Confocal Microscopes

The Keck Center’s laser-scanning confocal microscopes use laser excitation, motorized scanning mirrors, confocal pinholes, and amplification or photon-counting detectors to collect high-resolution optical sections that exclude out-of-focus light.   Through serial, optical sectioning of fluorescently-labelled samples, these systems are capable of producing high-resolution 3D and 4D datasets.

Leica SP8X Confocal

All publications that include data acquired on the Leica SP8X confocal must acknowledge NIH grant S10 OD016240.

  • Leica DMI6000 microscope
  • Motorized XY stage capable of mosaic tiling and multi-point imaging
  • Motorized Z-galvo stage for rapid Z movement
  • 10X and 20X dry objectives
  • 40X and 63X oil immersion objectives
  • 25X and 63X water immersion objectives
  • Adaptive focus control (AFC) for maintaining focus during live imaging and/or mosaic tiling
  • 470-670nm tunable White Light Laser (WLL) system
  • 405, 458, 476, 488, 496, and 514nm fixed wavelength laser lines
  • 3 PMT amplification detectors
  • 2 photon-counting HyD detectors with lifetime gating
  • Trans-PMT detector for DIC imaging
  • Resonant scanner for rapid, live-imaging
  • STP8000 backlit touchpad (funded by UWSTF)
  • KLONDIKE scan head electronics (funded by UWSTF)
  • Expert CUDA Workstation (funded by UWSTF)
  • Leica LASX Expert software (funded by UWSTF)
    • Navigator
    • FRAP
    • FRET
    • Lightning Deconvolution (funded by UWSTF)

KLONDIKE scan head electronics, CUDA computer workstation, and LASX Expert software with Lightning deconvolution were funded by the UW Student Technology Fee.

Zeiss LSM 710 Confocal

  • Zeiss Axio Observer Z.1 microscope
  • Manual stage with slide, dish, and plate inserts
  • 5X, 10X and 20X dry objectives
  • 40X, 63X, and 100X(no UV) oil immersion objectives
  • 40X and 63X water immersion objectives
  • 405, 458, 488, 514, 561, 594, and 633nm fixed wavelength laser lines
  • 2 PMT amplification detectors
  • 1 spectral PMT amplification detector
  • Tunable emission for all detectors
  • Trans-PMT detector for DIC imaging
  • Zeiss Zen 2009 software