Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscope (TIRF)

细胞膜将细胞与环境分离，并允许细胞内不同细胞过程的区室化。要详细了解生物膜，需要分析活细胞中分子和过程的定位和动力学，以及在定义明确的孵育条件下以高时间分辨率分析孤立的分子系统。与传统的显微镜相比，全内反射荧光显微镜相结合，提供了更高的对比度图像的荧光团标记的分子附近的质膜，膜制剂和固定的膜蛋白。同时检测多个荧光允许膜过程的详细表征，这是无法实现与当前的显微镜设置在鲁尔大学波鸿。该显微镜的实施将有助于促进科学交流，增加加入研究项目的数量，并改善第三方资金的获取。

Cellular membranes separate cells from the environment and allow for compartmentalization of different cellular processes inside cells. A detailed understanding of biological membranes requires analysis of the localization and dynamics of molecules and processes in a live cell and on isolated molecular systems under well-defined incubation conditions with high time resolution. Compared to conventional microscopy, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in combination provides higher-contrast images of fluorophore-labelled molecules near the plasma membrane, on membrane preparations and on immobilized membrane proteins. Simultaneous detection of multiple fluorescences allows for a detailed characterization of membrane processes, which is not achievable with the current microscope setups at the Ruhr University Bochum. Implementation of this microscope will be instrumental to stimulate the scientific exchange, to increase the number of joined research projects and to improve acquisition of third-party funds.