Wide-field microscope (Renewal)

• Subject Area: Neurosciences
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 583692251

The Microscopy Core Facility offers a broad spectrum of light and electron microscopy techniques for the institutes of the University. While our confocal microscopes are in high demand, we also see that our wide-field systems are being intensely used for projects where that’s applicable and sufficient. These microscopes can provide fast, automated and reliable imaging for tissue sections, multi-well plates, and live cells. However, our oldest wide-field system is somewhat lacking in that regard, and we would like to be able to offer more reliability and experimental flexibility through an upgrade of various components. For example, an automated hardware-based focusing system would provide great benefit for long-term live cell imaging, especially when it is combined with a commercially available dual camera setup for ratiometric FRET measurements. We also expect a speed benefit from the redesigned fluorescence filter wheels, because of the lower weight and less moving components. This will also provide more flexibility for the usable fluorophore combinations. Being able to exchange the fluorescence light source with contemporary LED illumination would result in lower maintenance costs as these have a much longer lifetime than our currently used arc lamps. Furthermore, LEDs would provide a speed benefit as changing excitation filters would not be necessary anymore. We also consider it a convenience to offer an automated sample finder to easily recognize tissue sections and areas to image, and also to precisely locate well positions for multi-well experiments.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Weitfeldmikroskop (Erneuerung)
• Instrumentation Group: 5000 Labormikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
• Leader: Professor Dr. Tobias Rose