This is a resource for Edinburgh researchers to see which Bioimaging techniques we can support within the membership of Edinburgh BioImaging. Many of our core facilities and technology resources have several imaging methods available. This page will help you find out what is available and where. List of techniques which are supported through Edinburgh Bioimaging Our network is comprised of staff who have expertise in specific bioimaging techniques and core facilities. As a collective, we have a diverse range of equipment and expertise, enabling us to cover a huge breadth of Bioimaging techniques. While not all equipment is available in core facilities, our members are open to being approached for advice and collaboration. Some of us also participate in expert groups for specialised techniques that are open to new people. Light Microscopy Imaging Techniques Edinburgh Bioimaging has state-of-the-art facilities on all the university campuses, offering expertise in different modalities of light microscopy across Edinburgh: Widefield microscopy Confocal Microscopy Super-resolution Microscopy - Structured Illumination, Single Molecule Localisation, STED Mesoscopy - Stereo Microscopy F-Techniques: FRET, FRAP, FLIP, FLIM Multiphoton Microscopy Histology and Multiplexing AIR IGC Western General Hospital, CMVM IRR Imaging Suite (IRRIS), BioQuarter, CMVM, SuRF Histology and Imaging, QMRI, BioQuarter - CMVM CALM, QMRI,BioQuarter, CMVM UK Zebrafish Imaging and Screening facility Chancellors Building, BioQuarter, CMVM IMPACT HRB George Square, CMVM Roslin BioImaging and Flow, Roslin, Easter Bush, CMVM Light Microscopy Core (formerly COIL, part of DRP-HCB), WTCCB, Kings Buildings LSM3D Light-Sheet Microscopy and 3D image analysis, HRB George Square, CMVM Histology and multiplexing, IRR south, Bioquarter - Little France, CMVM Light-sheet microscopy Light-sheet microscopy or Ultramicroscopy, stands out for its efficient and gentle 3D imaging of large samples, such as an entire mouse, compared to conventional epifluorescent microscopy techniques like widefield or confocal. In light-sheet microscopy, a transparent specimen is illuminated from the side with a thin light sheet. This technique allows for quick optical sectioning and minimal out-of-focus illumination. Photobleaching is reduced, and imaging speed is increased due to the exclusion of out-of-focus light through a pinhole. Modified from Dodt et al. 2007. Edinburgh Bioimaging has two state-of-the-art facilities offering expertise in light-sheet microscopy: The Light-Sheet Microscopy and 3D Analysis (Ultramicroscope II) at the Central campus The Bioimaging and Flow Cytometry facility (Zeiss Lighsheet 7) at The Rosling Institute. Electron and Atomic force Microscopy techniques Edinburgh Bioimaging has facilities on all the university campuses offering expertise in different modalities of electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy: Transmission Electron Microscopy Scanning Electron Microscopy Volume Electron microscopy Cryo EM Atomic Force Microscopy Optical Trapping XRay microscopy Roslin EM Contact – Jon Moss jon.moss at ed.ac.uk AFM Kings Buildings – Engineering department COSMIC Kings Buildings- Physics department Structural Biology Core part of (DRP-HCB), WTCCB, Kings Buildings For TEM/SEM processing and imaging and larger serial block-face projects, please contact 3D Electron Microscopy Specialist Dr Jon Moss at jonathan.moss@ed.ac.uk. Flow Cytometry Edinburgh Bioimaging state-of-the-art flow cytometry facilities across Edinburgh: Bioimaging and Flow Cytometry, The Roslin Institute, CMVM IRR Flow Cytometry and cell sorting facility, Bioquarter - Little France, CMVM Flow cytometry at IGC, Western General Hospital, CMVM SURF, Bioquarter - Little France, CMVM Flow cytometry core facility, King's Building Specialist Bioimaging Methods High Content Screening Spatial Transcriptomics Plant Bioimaging Optical Tweezers CARS / RAMAN Bioimage Analysis Edinburgh Bioimaging offers expertise in different modalities of image analysis: Fiji / Image J QuPath ARIVIS IMARIS QUINT For expert advice and training, contact your local facility: Central area: IMPACT HRB George Square LSM3D Light-Sheet Microscopy and 3D image analysis, HRB George Square Bioquarter: IRR Imaging facilities and High Content imaging, IRR SuRF Histology and Imaging, QMRI CALM, QMRI UK Zebrafish Imaging and Screening facility Chancellors Building Western General: AIR IGC Western General Hospital Roslin Roslin BioImaging and Flow, Roslin, Easter Bush King's Building: Light Microscopy Core (formerly COIL, part of DRP-HCB) Plant Sciences DRP-HCB Widefield microscopy is an imaging technique where the whole sample is illuminated, and the emitted light is observed through the microscope's eyepiece or captured by a camera. Widefield imaging captures all the light, producing 2D images rapidly. Advantages: Fast image acquisition and low cost. Disadvantages: Low spatial resolution images due to the out-of-focus light (low axial resolution and blurred images). Unsuitable for colocalization analysis In confocal microscopy, the illumination and detection optics are focused on the same spot, which is moved over the sample to build a 3D image (optical sectioning). While the entire field of view is illuminated during imaging, anything outside the focal plane (out-of-focus light) is excluded through a pinhole (Minsky, 1957). Modified from Jonkman, J., 2020. Confocal microscopy only captures images of the in-focus plane. Advantages: High-resolution / high-contrast images (high axial resolution and sharp images) Optical sectioning Colocalization and quantitative analysis Disadvantages: Low image acquisition speed High photobleaching and high cost This article was published on 2024-08-07
