Multiphoton laser scanning microscope with FLIM module

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The Microverse Imaging Center is a new imaging facility at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena whose aim is to support the imaging needs of the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse. In order to complement its portfolio, a highly flexible microscope for the investigation of molecular and cellular structures through or within a larger layer of cellular or tissue samples using functional fluorescence readouts, is needed. Representative users have been identified whose research will greatly benefit from the instrumentation. Their described projects focus for instance on studying the action of microbial communities on the function of organisms such as of the gut or the lung. An organ-on-chip model is being established but imaging directly in the chip was so far not possible due to the high imaging depths required. Employing optical microscopy deep inside samples bears important limitations. Signal quality is severely deteriorated due to scattering and aberrations, leading to loss in brightness, contrast and resolution. Scattering is however reduced employing two- or multi-photon microscopy due to the use of infrared light.In addition, variances in the microbiome may entail changes in disease states such as inflammation, and thus result not only in cellular restructuring and molecular reorganizations but also entail variations in cellular and molecular interactions, properties, and signalling events. Alternative readouts such as fluorescence lifetime or fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) or spectral imaging have highlighted an increased sensitivity already to minute changes of these properties. Furthermore, such functional readouts will also be employed for studying the usability of novel tailor-made dyes for microscopy experiments under real conditions. Another project focuses on the communication of fungi and bacteria. This involves multiple sub-projects such as the study of metal tolerance, biomineral formation and biofilm formation of bacteria such as streptomycetes. The samples to be tested, like fungal mycelium or plant roots, require deep-tissue optical microscopy and hardware-based techniques for the removal of autofluorescence background. Observation of membrane properties such as heterogeneous lipid packing and its influence on protein functionality requires functional fluorescence readouts.Access to the equipment, coordination, service and maintenance tasks are organized by the Microverse Imaging Center.