Microscopy Platform
High-quality microscopes and a workstation for image processing and quantification are available to the scientific community through the Research Center.
One microscope (widefield) captures colour and fluorescence images and a second microscope allows for confocal acquisitions in fluorescence. Both systems are equipped for real-time acquisitions (live mode) with a motorized stage.
Equipment and Services
Confocal System
LSM800 microscope, Zeiss Axio Observer Z1 motorized inverted microscope
Possible acquisitions:
- Fluorescence from a confocal mode
- Transmitted light image acquisition
- Imaging of living cells
- Z-stacks
- Time-Lapse
- Mosaics
This system provides:
- Four solid-state laser lines: 405, 488, 561, 640 nm with a line scan rate of eight frames per second at 512 × 512 pixels
- Spectral sensing with two GaAsP detectors
- Third “Airyscan”-type detector for a “super resolution” at 140 nm in X and Y, and at 400 nm in Z
- External transmitted light detector system for superposition of DIC and confocal-contrast images
- Objective lens: 10x (0.25 NA), 20x (0.8 NA), 40x (0.6 NA, long working distance), 40x (1.4 NA, oil), 63x (1.4 NA, oil), 63x (0.85 NA, air).
- Equipped for experiments on living cells (temperature control, CO2, humidity)
Widefield System
Motorized inverted microscope, Zeiss Axio Observer Z1
Possible acquisitions:
- Colour images
- Fluorescence images
- Differential interference contrast (DIC)
- Imaging of living cells
- Z-stacks
- Time-lapse
- Mosaics
This system provides:
- DIC, brightfield
- Fluorescence: Dapi (filter 49), GFP (filter 38), Cy3 (filter 43), mRFP (filtre 63), Cy5 (filter 50), Quad filter (Dapi, FITC, Texas Red, Cy5)
- Objectives: 10x (0.25 NA), 20x (0.4 NA, long working distance), 20x (0.8 NA), 40x (0.6 NA, long working distance), 40x (1.4 NA, oil), 63x (1.4 NA, oil), 100x (1.46 NA, oil)
- Illumination: Hummingbird (LED) and metal halide lamps, LED lighting for transmitted and polarized light
- Cameras: Axiocam 105 (colour; 47 fps, 5 MP) and Axiocam 506 (monochrome; 51 fps, 6 MP)
- Definite focus
- ApoTome.2 (structured illumination for acquiring optical sections of 1 Airy unit)
- Equipped for experiments on living cells (temperature control, CO2, humidity)
Request for the use
The equipment can be found in room Y4397.
Both systems are operational according to the user-pay principle. Training is mandatory for new users. It includes introduction to the system (widefield or confocal) as well as assistance during the first images collected. It is also possible to get
Reservations are made via the CRIUCPQ intranet.
In order to make a service request or a reservation without going through the intranet or for any further information, please contact :
