The new TIRF-SIM (Total-Internal-Reflection Structured-Illumination-Microscope) will allow the imaging of the evolution of nanoscale processes in living cells at the right spatiotemporal scales, enabling researchers to correlate protein dynamics in up to four colours.
The Live-cell TIRF-SIM system will bring Oxford microscopy to a level that will keep it competitive with international laboratories.
- Marco Fritzsche
The microscope was unveiled yesterday in an event at the Kennedy Institute, which included a brief presentation on the new equipment followed by an opportunity for researchers to familiarise themselves with the kit, see it in action and find out about its latest applications in research.
Super-resolution optical microscopy produces fluorescence images whose spatial resolution surpasses the theoretical diffraction limit imposed by the wavelength of light, assessing unprecedented visual detail of structures in living cells.
The new system is operational, and will become available for booking later this autumn. Scientists who want to experiment with the new SIM methods can arrange to do so through the Biophysical Immunology Group.
Financial support to use the TIRF-SIM can be acquired through the Human Immune Discovery Initiative (HIDI) of the University of Oxford Immunology Network, an initiative that aims to improve accessibility to immunological assays and expertise for all researchers across the University (and beyond).
