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.
IMB Microscopy Showcase Workshops 2019
Both the IMB Instrument Extravaganza and Image Analysis Workshops, as part of the Light Microscopy Australia Conference 2019, were a huge sucess. An attendee list comprising local, national and international researchers and vendors were shown the state of the art imaging facility here at IMB, given in depth hands-on access to imaging equipment as well the bleeding edge computing capabilites we are developing throughout UQ. Thank you to everyone involved, including organisers, presenters, vendor representatives and infrastructure staff for making it all logistically possible for what were two very action-packed days of microscopy and image analysis. A wealth of positive feedback has been received and prompted several collaborative opportunities, as well as a number of interested parties looking for advice going forward themselves. An extremely useful few days that has really put IMB Microscopy on both the national and international map and we will be hosting more events and workshops in the near future, so stay tuned.
Harnessing advances in technology to enhance our rate of discovery.
As technology progresses, microscopes are revealing information previously beyond our reach, shifting the scientific frontier. Higher clarity, faster speed, and longer observational windows allow for deeper probing into the fundamental processes that make things tick. It opens the door to new questions and ultimately, new discoveries.
The IMB Microscopy facility has an abundant equipment list, with the facility housing 22 high-end microscopes. For example, we have five point scanning confocal microscopes, a rare concentration for such complex equipment in one location.
Our Microscopy Facility is always evolving to remain at the forefront of scientific capability. We harness advances in technology to increase our rate of discovery.
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
Mr Mark Scott
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
Facility supporters
