The IMB Microscopy facility built in 2009 is a world-leading example of technology designed for discovery. It has continued to evolve, with wide-ranging light microscopy capability, employing technology that is programmed specifically for the needs of the research teams. Researchers are enabled to perform complex experiments that produce real-time microscopic insights that impact our understanding of biological processes.
The ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility is a nation-leading facility which enables researchers at IMB to make significant contributions to the global understanding of cellular pathogenesis drivers, mechanisms of tissue invasion and determinants of patient outcomes at the levels of function and phenotype. Leading discoveries emerging from research at IMB are having a major impact at the fundamental single protein level through to medical application, aided by advanced microscopy.
The ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility is the product of 20 years of support from the ACRF, with a road map to provide emerging imaging and analysis techniques to facilitate the scientific research. In 2004, ACRF awarded $1.2 mil to purchase two Zeiss 510 confocal microscopes. In 2008, ACRF awarded $2.5 mil to purchase two Zeiss 710 confocal microscopes, one GE Deltavision microscope and high performance computing (HPC) for image analysis. Most recently in 2017, ACRF awarded $2.3 mil to the IMB Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility (CUFF) to purchase one 3i Lattice Light Sheet, one Leica Super resolution microscope and cluster computers for image analysis.
The ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility is an effective conduit for research from cancer targets to drug discovery programs and translational studies. It represents the culmination of our multidisciplinary efforts of observing phenotype from molecules in cells to complex microsystems. We now appreciate the etiology of cancer is impacted by factors not readily analysed by genomics alone, notably tumour cell heterogeneity and the impact of the microenvironment. Analyzing the behaviour of cancer cells in vitro and of tumours in situ is now made possible by recent, revolutionary and complementary advances in optical microscopy that provide the opportunity to directly assess cancer cell function at unprecedented resolution, using engineered cell systems, animal models, tumours and organs. The advanced imaging offered in the facility will help to translate research findings much more rapidly by moving seamlessly between levels of resolution, from single molecule to whole live organism.
Current capabilities
In 2017 IMB will acquire a Lattice Light Sheet Microscope, invented by Nobel Prize winner Eric Betzig.
23 Instruments Available, Including:
3x Zeiss LSM710 and 1x Zeiss LSM880 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopes
Upright and inverted
405, 458, 488, 514, 561, 594, 633nm and NIR 2Photon laser lines
Fasty Airyscan detectors for 120nm XY super-resolution imaging
GaAsP photodetectors for imaging of dim or sensitive subjects
Ideal for most imaging requirements
Leica SP8 STED 3X Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope
405, 445nm, white light laser 467-670nm lasers
STED super-resolution imaging to 30nm XY, 80nm Z
Resonant scanning
Falcon FLIM/FRET
Lightning Deconvolution
Navigator
Ideal for Super-Resolution imaging
Andor Dragonfly Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope
Dual Andor Zyla 4.2 CMOS 100fps cameras
405, 440, 488, 514, 561 and 640nm laser lines
TIRF module for imaging surface adhesions
Ideal for Developmental biology timelapse imaging
Yokogawa CSU-X1 Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope
Dual Roper Evolve EMCCD 30fps cameras
458, 488, 514, and 561nm laser lines
Ideal for high speed adherent cell imaging
3i Lattice Lightsheet Microscope
Dual Photometrics Flash 4.0 CMOS cameras
440, 488, 560 and 640nm laser lines
3D volumes acquired in under a second (100fps)
Superior axial resolution compared to conventional lightsheet microscopes
Ideal for multi-colour high speed long duration time-lapse microscopy
Nikon Ti-E - inverted deconvolution microscope
4Mp sCMOS Monochrome Camera
LED lines for DAPI, CFP, GFP, YFP, mCherry, A594, Cy5 etc
Single and Multi-well sample formats
Maximum framerate: 1000fps (2048x100)
Ideal for immunofluorescence and live cell imaging
Optical Projection Tomography Microscope
Ideal for imaging whole cleared embryos and organs
Various Stereo, Upright and Inverted Widefield Microscopes for brightfield/Phase Contrast/DIC and Fluorescence
3x Dell r740 1-1.5TB RAM, 3xV100 GPU 56core CPU Image Analysis Servers
Image analysis software: Imaris, Arivis, Amira, Huygens, Microvolution, Zen, NIS-Elements, LAS-X and others
Staff Expertise
- Brightfield and mullti-channel fluorescence microscopy
- Confocal laser scanning microscopy
- Rapid, live-cell 3D imaging using spinning disk confocal
- 2-photon confocal imaging for tissue imaging and micro-ablation experiments
- Rapid-acquisition live imaging for intracellular processes and live embryo imaging
- High-throughput imaging and analysis of fluorescence in multi-well plates and dishes
- Image processing and analysis including automation in ImageJ/FIJI
The Lattice Light Sheet – clearer, faster, longer
In 2017 IMB will acquire a Lattice Light Sheet Microscope, invented by Nobel Prize winner Eric Betzig.
To contact the microscopy team with a proposal for Lattice Light Sheet imaging, please fill out this form.
The capability of this microscope was unattainable with previous technology. It combines high-resolution imaging capacity with super fast imaging speed but does not damage the cells. It allows for long exposure time without loss of clarity, which means that researchers can make detailed movies of processes under observation over extended periods, taking their understanding to a deeper level.
There are only three other Lattice Light Sheet Microscopes in Australia and only a handful in the world.
“For the first time we will be able to see the behaviour of cells and organisms in real time at high resolution. Previous microscopes damage the cells, but the Lattice Light Sheet does not, so we will also be able to watch generations of cells over several days giving comprehensive insights into their behaviour.
“We will observe the impact of drugs on cells and disease-causing mutations on cells very quickly and accurately. This technology will greatly enhance our understanding of cells normal behaviour and our understanding of diseases like cancer and inflammation. It will also accelerate research into treatments.” Professor Jenny Stow, Leader The Stow Group - Protein Trafficking and Inflammation.
Leica STED 3X Super Resolution Microscope
Installed in early 2017 is the Leica STED 3X Super Resolution Microscope, which provides multicolour super-resolution imaging of cells. It is the only microscope of its type in Queensland capable of resolving the interactions between single molecules within a living cell in real time. The system comes complete with incubation for live imaging, a resonant scan head capable of 8KHz scan speeds, the super-resolution STED module and also Fluorescent Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) capabilities making it a truly versatile and powerful imaging system.
“The STED microscope allows us to look at cells with ultra high magnification in three dimensions. We can reconstruct cancer tissues or small animals, like fish or fly’s, in 3D. It gives us a whole new way to look at cells in health and in disease.” Professor Jenny Stow, Leader The Stow Group - Protein Trafficking and Inflammation.
Andor Dragonfly Spinning Disc Confocal with TIRF
Installed in March of 2018 is the Andor Dragonfly incorporates a Spinning Disc Confocal allowing researchers to image 3D volumes at greater speed and over larger areas than ever before. It comes complete with incubation for live cell imaging and also features TIRF imaging capabilities. It is the only microscope of its type in Queensland and only the second Australia-wide.
Zeiss LSM 880 Confocal with Fast Airyscan Detector
Another new addition to our arsenal is the Zeiss LSM 880 Confocal, installed in April 2018, this system comprises an inverted microscope with full incubation control for live cell imaging and also features Zeiss' Fast Airyscan detector. The Airyscan in super-res mode uses a honeycomb detector array that is capable of achieving not only greatly improved signal to noise, but will also allow users to achieve down to 120nm resolution without the need for any changes in dyes or staining protocols. The Fast Airyscan component will also allow for fast imaging of a single fluorescence channel with speeds up to 150 frames per second.
Nikon SMZ18 Research Stereo Microscope
We encourage external groups to use our equipment. We offer training and induction. We also have highly trained staff that can perform the imaging for you.
Rounding out our new equipment is the Nikon SMZ18 Stereo Microscope, a motorised stereo-microscope providing brilliant images and uniform fluorescent with more automated functionality than anything else we have had access to before. This system features bright epi-fluorescent imaging, motorised focus control, customisable experimental design, excellent signal to noise ratio and a built in Extended Depth of Field (EDF) funtionality which allows users to achieve flat focus images of large samples such as zebra-fish, embryos and large tissue samples. It comes with both 0.5x and 1.0x magnification objective lenses as well as adjustable microscope zoom up to 13.5x giving us a huge range of possible magnifications to suit any researcher needs.
From the basics to the best and everything in between
The IMB Microscopy facility built in 2009 is a world-leading example of technology designed for discovery. It has continued to evolve, as have the questions it is set up to help answer. The facility has a significant and wide-ranging capability, with technology that is programmed specifically for the needs of the 30 research teams that utilise it. Researchers can perform multiple experiments within one facility, leaving no stone unturned.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Cluster
Taking the images is only half the job. The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research has awarded a joint infrastructure grant to IMB, QBI, CMM and the RCC to purchase what will be the largest GPU cluster in Australia, if not the southern hemisphere. This cluster will allow extremely high speed image processing of the massive datasets produced by the lattice lightsheet and other imaging platforms at IMB and UQ. Processing that would normally take days will take minutes with this new hardware.
“Computing and microscopes are intimately tied – you can’t have one without the other. To keep up with the advances in laser microscopes, we also need advanced computing capability to process the data.
“The imaging from the Lattice Light Sheet allows us to collect and record an enormous amount of data – the equivalent to half the entire iTunes library per fortnight. We can look at hundreds and thousands of cells...instead of one.
“With so many examples of what cells are doing, we can harness the power of computing to analyse and build models of the data. Eventually this will replace long expensive experiments and help us to predict cell behaviour.” Professor Jenny Stow, Leader The Stow Group - Protein Trafficking and Inflammation.
External Users
We encourage external groups to use our equipment. We offer training and induction. We also have highly trained staff that can perform the imaging for you.
Given the large amount of high end systems housed and managed within the IMB Microscopy Facility, we highly encourage external users to come and use systems that may not be accessible through other sources, such as the Lattice Lightsheet, Dragonfly Spinning Disc, Leica STED Super-resolution with Falcon FLIM and others.
Hours of use for external users: Monday to Friday: 9 am to 5 pm
Charged at an hourly rate - please contact a member of the Microscopy Facility Staff to discuss further.
Contacts
Dr James Springfield
Dr Nicholas Condon
Dr Deborah Barkauskas
For mail, please send to the following address:
ACRF Cancer Biology Imaging Facility
Institute for Molecular Bioscience Level 6N
306 Carmody Road Building 80
University of Queensland
4072, St Lucia,
Queensland, Australia