High resolution confocal microscope for characterization of materials and long term time-lapse studies

目前大分子和材料化学的挑战在于控制、调节和定向自组装分子和胶体结构单元，以实现复杂性和功能性增加的结构。这些系统将回答开放的科学问题，并解决信息技术、储能和医疗工程领域的材料工程问题。动态材料系统中的现象通常是扩散限制的，并且在几分钟到几小时的过程中发生。为了能够研究这些系统，乌尔姆大学化学系需要一台具有高分辨率和稳定性的共聚焦显微镜进行长期研究。研究的系统范围从分子到胶体，它们自组装成有序结构或复杂的预编程结构。触发器将被纳入，这使得结构的拆卸或降解的个别积木。将研究荧光标记的生物分子或笼状离子向多孔结构、囊泡和细胞中的扩散。最后，将开发用于生物成像和药物递送的系统，并将以高时间精度研究释放动力学。共聚焦显微镜将允许非侵入式成像而不干扰系统，并且无缝的时间分辨率从亚秒的分子和胶体布朗运动到数小时和数天的近平衡组装和缓慢释放或长期降解系统。

Current challenges in macromolecular and materials chemistry lie in control, regulation and directed self-assembly of molecular and colloidal building blocks to achieve structures of increased complexity and functionality. Such systems will answer open scientific questions and resolve materials engineering problems in the areas of information technology, energy storage and medical engineering. Phenomena in dynamic material systems are often diffusion-limited and occur over the course of minutes to hours. To be able to study these systems the chemistry department of Ulm University requires a confocal microscope with high resolution and stability for long-term studies.Systems under investigation will range from molecules to colloids, which self-assemble into ordered structures or complex and pre-programmed architectures. Triggers will be incorporated, which enable disassembly of the structures or degradation of the individual building blocks. Diffusion of fluorescently labeled biomolecules or caged ions into porous structures, vesicles and cells will be investigated. Finally, systems for biological imaging and drug delivery will be developed and the release kinetics will be studied with high temporal precision.Confocal microscopy will allow non-intrusive imaging without interfering with the system and seamless temporal resolution from sub-seconds for molecules and colloidal in Brownian motion to hours and days for near equilibrium assembly and slow release or long term degradation systems.