Instruments
Cellular Imaging provides researchers at the Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, and the broader NYC community access to state-of-the-art light microscopes and analysis tools. Currently available resources are briefly listed below.
For more comprehensive information and pricing, please visit our platform on iLab.
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopes
For high-resolution optical sectioning in cells and tissues.
Cellular Imaging has both upright and inverted confocal microscopes, providing solutions for live and fixed experiments. Unique capabilities on each instrument provide access to spectral unmixing, high sensitivity detection, and super resolution capabilities.
Zeiss LSM 880 with Airyscan
Upright laser scanning confocal.
Super-resolution imaging (up to 120nm lateral resolution).
Ideal for samples requiring high sensitivity or samples unsuitable for imaging with the W1-SoRa Yokogawa spinning disk confocal (below).
Zeiss LSM 710 with Quasar Detector
Upright laser scanning confocal.
Spectral unmixing with filter-free spectral detector.
Nikon A1R with Resonance Scanner
Inverted laser scanning confocal.
High-speed resonance scanning capability.
High-sensitivity GaAsP detectors.
Incubation chamber for live samples.
Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopes
For rapid high-resolution imaging of cells and tissues.
These instruments are optimized for imaging in tissue and are ideally suited to mapping cells in tissue sections, analysis of neuron morphology, and quantifying spines and intracellular organelles. Both instruments utilize highly sensitive cameras and hardware triggering for maximum speed and sensitivity. Incubation chambers allow for live experiments in dishes and plates.
W1-Yokogawa
Inverted spinning disk confocal.
Ideally for high-speed imaging of cells and tissue.
4-slide holder and automation allowing high-throughput imaging experiments.
40x water and 100x silicone objectives suited to imaging in tissue sections.
W1-SoRa Yokogawa
Inverted spinning disk confocal.
Ideally for high-speed super-resolution imaging of cells and tissue.
Slide Scanning
For fast and fully automated scanning of slides.
A custom-built Nikon AZ100 multizoom microscope with a Prior slide loader allows automated imaging of up to 200 slides per run. Automated cell and tissue detection combined with on-the-fly analysis and machine learning segmentation can be used to accelerate both digitization of slides and quantification. Pipelines for whole brain (BrainJ) and spinal cord (SpinalJ) are available to reconstruct datasets and perform analysis and visualization in common coordinate frameworks such as the Allen Brain Atlas.
Widefield Imaging
We offer a variety of instruments capable of routine widefield fluorescence and brightfield microscopy. This includes instruments with software tailored to automated and high-throughput imaging and analysis of up to 4 slides at once.
Light Sheet Microscopy
For imaging large and cleared samples.
An UltraMicroscope II light sheet microscope allows imaging of whole brains and cleared tissues.
Super Resolution Microscopy
We provide access to a variety of instruments that allow imaging beyond the diffraction limit. This includes the capability to rapidly image live and fixed samples at resolutions down to 150nm lateral resolution, and a unique bi-plane approach to single-molecule imaging down to 20nm in cells or tissue.
Vutara 352
Inverted single-molecule imaging instrument.
Super-resolution imaging down to 20nm lateral and 50nm axial resolution.
Imaging depth up to ~30-100μm.
Unique bi-plane detection allows for STORM, PALM, PAINT, and other single-molecule imaging techniques to be performed in tissue and cells.
Zeiss LSM 880 with Airyscan
Upright laser scanning confocal.
Super-resolution imaging down to 120nm lateral and 300 nm axial resolution.
Imaging depth up to ~50-100μm.
W1-SoRa Yokogawa
Inverted spinning disk confocal.
Rapid super-resolution imaging down to 150nm lateral and 300 nm axial resolution.
Imaging depth up to ~30-50μm.
