Brightfield imaging provides clear, high-contrast visualisation of samples using transmitted light microscopy. This essential technique is ideal for biological and materials science applications, allowing detailed examination without complex labelling or fluorescent dyes.

Key Benefits:

• Simple & Efficient: Quick imaging of samples with minimal preparation, suitable for tissues and whole organisms.
• Label-Free Visualisation: Observe samples in their natural state without fluorescent tags or chemical staining.
• Cost-Effective: Affordable, low-maintenance solution ideal for routine analysis.
• Versatile Applications: Widely used in pathology, histology, materials science, and cell morphology studies.
• ​Multiple Contrast Techniques: Options include phase contrast, differential interference contrast (DIC), polarized, and darkfield imaging.

Available Instruments:

• Olympus BX53 Upright Microscope
• Zeiss AxioImager M2 Upright Microscope
• DeltaVision Elite Inverted Microscope
• Zeiss LSM880 Upright Microscope
• Olympus VS200 Slide Scanner
• Zeiss VX16 Zoom Microscope
• Leica M165c Stereo Microscope
• Image Xpress µConfocal
• DeltaVision OMX Flex

Widefield Fluorescent Imaging combines high-resolution visualisation of fluorescently labelled samples with rapid, efficient imaging across extensive fields of view. Ideal for observing dynamic cellular processes in both living and fixed cells or tissues, this technique captures molecular interactions clearly and precisely.

Key Benefits:

• High-Speed Imaging: Quickly capture large sample areas, optimal for live-cell tracking and high-throughput screening.
• Multi-Colour Capability: Simultaneously visualise multiple fluorescent markers with minimal signal interference.
• ​Dynamic Real-Time Visualisation: Effectively monitor cellular events like migration, protein trafficking, and molecular interactions.
• Enhanced Sensitivity: Accurately detect low-abundance molecules and subtle structural changes in complex biological samples.
• Cost-Effective and Accessible: Ideal for routine imaging needs, educational use, and a broad range of biological research applications.
• Quantitative Deconvolution: Some systems include algorithms to significantly improve image resolution by reducing out-of-focus background fluorescence.

Without Deconvolution	With Deconvolution

Available Instruments:

• Olympus BX53 Upright Microscope
• Zeiss AxioImager M2 Upright Microscope
• DeltaVision Elite Inverted Microscope
• Zeiss LSM880 Upright Microscope
• Olympus VS200 Slide Scanner
• Zeiss VX16 Zoom Microscope
• DeltaVision OMX Flex
• Image Xpress µConfocal

Super-Resolution Imaging techniques surpass the diffraction limit of conventional microscopy, enabling detailed visualisation of biological structures and molecular interactions at the nanoscale. Techniques such as Airyscan, STORM, PALM, and Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) offer unprecedented clarity and precision, transforming understanding in biological and biomedical research.

Key Benefits:

• Nanoscale Resolution: See the finest cellular structures and molecular interactions with resolution beyond traditional light microscopy, down to the nanometre scale.
• Unmatched Detail: Explore intricate biological processes, protein dynamics, and cellular architecture with stunning precision and clarity.
• High Sensitivity: Detect low-abundance molecules and subtle changes in live cells or tissues, even in challenging conditions.
• Advanced Multiplexing: Simultaneously observe multiple targets with minimal overlap, expanding the potential for in-depth analysis and complex studies.

Enhanced Resolution Techniques

Unlock molecular-level insights with our advanced super-resolution platforms, designed to surpass conventional microscopy limits and deliver exceptional detail for cellular and molecular research.

Zeiss Airyscan combines super-resolution imaging with the simplicity of traditional fluorescence microscopy. Ideal for 3D imaging with high sensitivity and minimal phototoxicity, Airyscan offers fast acquisition and up to 1.7× better resolution than standard confocal techniques. It delivers enhanced resolution and sensitivity, rapid imaging with reduced photobleaching, and high-quality 3D data acquisition, all seamlessly integrated within Zeiss systems.

Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) provides a resolution breakthrough by using patterned illumination and computational reconstruction. SIM allows detailed visualisation of live or fixed samples using common dyes and standard protocols. It offers up to 8× improved volumetric resolution, enables real-time imaging of dynamic processes with minimal phototoxicity, and supports multiplexing with standard fluorescent labels.

PALM & STORM are cutting-edge localisation microscopy techniques for visualising single molecules with nanometre precision. These methods are ideal for uncovering the fine architecture of proteins, membranes, and subcellular components. They provide resolution down to 20 nm, enable real-time single-molecule tracking in live cells, and allow for multi-target imaging using distinct fluorophores, making them invaluable tools for structural and interaction studies.

Available Instruments:

• DeltaVision OMX Flex (SIM, PALM/STORM)​​
• ​Zeiss LSM880 with Airyscan

Confocal imaging microscopy provides exceptional resolution and depth by using focused laser illumination and optical sectioning. This advanced imaging method eliminates out-of-focus light, allowing precise, detailed, three-dimensional visualisation of thick and complex biological specimens.

Key Benefits:

• Superior Optical Sectioning: Captures clear, high-contrast images at various depths, highlighting detailed cellular and subcellular structures.
• High Resolution: Ideal for studying intricate cellular architectures, protein localisation, and dynamic cellular processes.
• Live Cell Imaging: Enables real-time observation of cellular behaviour, including protein trafficking, signalling pathways, and cell division, with minimal phototoxicity.
• Minimal Background Noise: Utilises pinhole, line scanning, or spinning-disc methods to significantly reduce background interference.
• Multiplexing Capabilities: Facilitates simultaneous imaging of multiple fluorescent markers, enhancing complex biological studies.
• Advanced Features: Includes spectral unmixing, and some instruments provide EDGE correction for improved resolution in rounded samples like organoids.

Widefield	60 µm Pinhole	40 µm Slit

Widefield	IRIS Line Scanning Confocal	EDGE Correction

Available Instruments:

• Zeiss LSM880 Upright Microscope
• DeltaVision OMX Flex
• Image Xpress µConfocal

High-speed imaging using Radial Interference Nano-Gap Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (RING-TIRF) microscopy offers exceptional sensitivity for visualising rapid molecular events occurring at or near cell membranes. By minimising background noise, RING-TIRF provides precise, real-time visualisation of dynamic cellular interactions.

Key Benefits:

• Exceptional Membrane Sensitivity: High-resolution imaging specifically designed to observe surface-level molecular interactions.
• Real-Time Visualisation: Monitor dynamic molecular processes such as protein clustering, receptor interactions, and cell signalling in living cells.
• High Contrast Imaging: Minimal out-of-focus background ensures clear, accurate visualisation of molecular events.
• Versatile Applications: Ideal for studying cell adhesion, membrane trafficking, signalling pathways, and viral entry mechanisms.

Available Instruments:

• DeltaVision OMX Flex

High-content imaging enables automated, high-throughput acquisition of detailed cellular data across large sample sets. Combining high-resolution fluorescence imaging with advanced analysis software, this approach supports phenotypic screening, biomarker discovery, and multi-parametric analysis for complex biological systems.

Key Benefits:

• Multiparametric Analysis: Simultaneously capture data on morphology, fluorescence intensity, localisation, and cellular events.
• Automated Quantification: Streamlined, reproducible image acquisition and processing across hundreds or thousands of samples.
• Scalable Workflows: Suitable for large-scale drug discovery, toxicology, or genetic screens.
• ​Versatile Application: Supports cell-based assays, disease models, and detailed cellular profiling.

Available Instruments:

• DeltaVision Elite Inverted Microscope
• Molecular Devices Image Xpress µConfocal
• Olympus VS200 Slide Scanner

Our advanced CL2 laboratory provides researchers with access to fully equipped sample preparation facilities to support a wide range of microscopy applications. With automated and manual tools for sectioning, staining, embedding, and clearing, we ensure your samples are consistently processed to the highest standard for imaging and analysis.

Key Benefits:

• Comprehensive Equipment Range: Includes automated tissue processors, cryostats, microtomes, vibratomes, embedding stations, and staining robots.
• Tissue Clearing and Treatment: Enables advanced techniques such as plasma treatment and hydrogel-based tissue clearing for improved optical access.
• Standardised Processing: Ensures high reproducibility and sample integrity across imaging workflows.
• Support for Multiple Modalities: Suitable for brightfield, fluorescence, confocal, and super-resolution microscopy preparations.

Available Equipment:

• Leica Bond RxM IHC Automated Staining Robot
• Epredia Revos Tissue Processor
• Epredia Histostar Embedding Workstation
• Epredia HM355S Fully Automated Rotary Microtome
• Epredia Cryostar NX70 Cryostat
• Leica VT1000S Vibratome
• Leica VT1200 Ultramicrotome
• Leica ST5010 Slide Staining Robot
• ​Logos Biosystems X-Clarity Tissue Clearing System
• Henniker Plasma Treatment System