The CAF Fluorescence Microscopy Unit at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape houses fluorescence-based instruments for assessing the various properties of cells, particles or molecules of interest in a wide variety of samples.
Fluorescence Microscopes:
With fluorescence microscopy, one is able to determine localization/co-localization as well as mean intensity of a molecule of interest. Some advances in techniques now even allow structural analysis on a nanoscale.
Each microscopes is equipped with an incubation system, controlling the temperature and gas flow of the imaging chamber, which allows for very dynamic analysis of cell function, such as migration studies. Two different super-resolution platforms, SR SIM and PALM/STORM are available. This technology allows a dramatic increase in the achievable limit of resolution, to visualise structures as small as 100 nm and 30 nm respectively. The microscope can also be used for other advanced techniques, including FRET, TIRF and photo-activation/bleaching experiments.
The CAF Microscopy unit is also the leader in South Africa on correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM). This technique enables a researcher to image the same sample on both the fluorescence microscope and an electron microscope.
Forescence Microscopes:
With fluorescence microscopy one is able to determine localization/co-localization as well as mean intensity of a molecule of interest and with some advancements in the techniques structural analysis on a nanoscale is now possible.
All our microscopes are equipped with an incubation system, controlling the temperature and gas flow of the imaging chamber, which allows for very dynamic analysis of cell function, for example during migration studies. Two different super-resolution platforms, SR SIM and PALM/STORM is available. This technology allows a dramatic increase in the achievable limit of resolution, to visualise structures as small as 100 nm and 30 nm respectively. A Shuttle and Find plugin, which allows for correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) with our Electron Microscopy Unit. This technique enables a researcher to image the same sample on both the super-resolution microscope and an electron microscope. The microscope has been used for other advanced techniques including FRET, TIRF and photo-activation/bleaching experiments.
Flow Cytometers:
Flow cytometry performs multicolour quantification and sorting of cell or particle populations. It is one of the most powerful techniques for characterization of properties of cells and particles. This technology allows for the rapid and concurrent measurement of the physical and fluorescent parameters of 0.5-50µm particles, as they pass through a laser beam, giving information about the relative size, internal complexity and fluorescence intensity of the particles or cells of interest.
Some Flow Cytometry Applications:
- Viability assessment
- Ploidy analysis
- Cell cycle analysis
- Apoptosis assays
- Oxidative stress assays
- Phenotyping using multi-colour panels
- Cell sorting, including two-way sorting and plate sorting
Imaging Flow cytometer:
Our latest addition, the AMNIS imaging flow cytometer combines the best of microscopy and flow cytometry, providing a very fast analyses tool to image thousands of cells or particles in suspension for further analyses.
The unit have laboratories on Stellenbosch main campus and on Tygerberg Medical Campus. There is now also a biosafety class II cabinet available in the Stellenbosch unit for visiting users who need to work with their samples in a sterile environment. A cryostat is also available for sample preparation prior to imaging.
Fluorescence Microscopes:
With
fluorescence microscopy one is able to determine localization/co-localization
as well as mean intensity of a molecule of interest and with some advancements
in the techniques structural analysis on a nanoscale is now possible.
All our microscopes are equipped with an incubation
system, controlling the temperature and gas flow of the imaging
chamber, which allows for very dynamic analysis of cell function, for example
during migration studies. Two different super-resolution platforms, SR
SIM and PALM/STORM is available. This technology allows a dramatic
increase in the achievable limit of resolution, to visualise structures as
small as 100 nm and 30 nm respectively. A
Shuttle and Find plugin, which allows for correlative light and electron microscopy
(CLEM)
with our Electron Microscopy Unit. This technique enables a researcher to image
the same sample on both the super-resolution microscope and an electron
microscope. The microscope has been used for other advanced techniques
including FRET, TIRF and photo-activation/bleaching
experiments.
Flow Cytometers:
Flow
cytometry performs multicolour quantification and sorting of cell or particle
populations. It is one of the most powerful techniques for characterization of
properties of cells and particles. This technology allows for the rapid and
concurrent measurement of the physical and fluorescent parameters of 0.5-50µm
particles, as they pass through a laser beam, giving information about the
relative size, internal complexity and fluorescence intensity of the particles
or cells of interest.
Some
Flow Cytometry Applications:
Viability
assessment
Ploidy
analysis
Cell
cycle analysis
Apoptosis
assays
Oxidative
stress assays
Phenotyping
using multi-colour panels
Cell
sorting, including two-way sorting and plate sorting
Imaging Flow cytometer:
Our
latest addition, the AMNIS imaging flow cytometer combines the best of
microscopy and flow cytometry, providing a very fast analyses tool to image
thousands of cells or particles in suspension for further analyses.
The unit
have laboratories on Stellenbosch main campus and on Tygerberg Medical Campus.
There is now also a biosafety class II cabinet available in the Stellenbosch unit
for visiting users who need to work with their samples in a sterile
environment. A cryostat is also available for sample preparation prior to
imaging.
Main Campus: Fluorescence Microscopy Unit
The unit
on main campus specializes in confocal microscopy and other advanced
fluorescence imaging techniques, and is involved in imaging of a wide variety
of sample types using fluorescence based techniques. Flow cytometry and cell
sorting is also available here.
The unit
houses the following instruments:
Main Campus:
The unit on main campus specializes in confocal microscopy and other advanced fluorescence imaging techniques and is involved in imaging of a wide variety of sample types using fluorescence-based techniques.
The unit houses the following instruments:
Carl Zeiss LSM 780 confocal microscope with Super-resolution platforms
Olympus IX81 widefield microscope
Leica CM1860 UV Cryostat
For specific instrument settings and configurations, click on the name of each instrument.
Tygerberg Campus:
At the Tygerberg unit, the Zeiss AxioObserver Microscope is available for use. The Zeiss Axio Observer 7 Inverted Microscope is a platform for either light and/or fluorescence microscopy imaging to analyse fixed cells or tissue sections. An added feature to this particular unit is an incubation chamber, offering the option of performing live cell imaging under control physiological conditions.
For specific instrument settings and configurations, click on the name of each instrument.
