Facilities

Lightsheet 7 Fluorescence Microscopes, with their unique illumination principle, enab les fast and gentle acquisition of multidimensional, high-resolution images of living and non-living specimens. Lightsheet 7 matches conditions like tissue type, size, and fluorescent label. Using Lightsheet 7, one can image specimens up to 2 cm in size at any refractive index between 1.33 and 1.58 and in almost all clearing solutions. Lightsheet 7 is the stable turnkey system that acquires fast, gentle overview images and data with subcellular resolution for samples like optically cleared organoids, spheroids, organs, brains or other specimens. The exceptional stability of Lightsheet 7 lets users observe living samples over extended periods, even days, with less phototoxicity than ever before.

The main theme underlying this approach is the excitation of fluorescent molecules followed by the action of a high power Depletion Laser. The depletion laser is instrumental in depleting the excited state of the molecules in the periphery of the focal spot by stimulated emission, thereby reducing the point spread function (PSF), leading to higher resolution.

STED and STELLARIS as a single system offers a briliant confocal imaging with unique super resolution capabilities to help you dive progress in science. Acquire outstanding confocal and STED image easily and set up your experiment in a few click. Thanks to the combination with the STELLARIS platform, STED benefits from the Leica next generation White Light Laser (WLL) / AOBS technology, a newly optimized beam path, and spectral detection driven by the Power hyd detector family. Together with the availability of 775 STED line, STED enables you to characterize structures with nanoscale detail, perform colocalization studies with the highest flexibility in terms of fluorophore selection, and follow highly dynamic processes.

Photoluminescence spectroscopy is a contactless, nondestructive method of probing the electronic structure of materials. The facility has a QuantaMaster 8450-22 Spectrofluorometer (Horiba) that allows various measurements such as fluorescence in UV-VIS-NIR range of ~200 nm-3000 nm and phosphorescence lifetime in the time range of about one microsecond to larger than a second. Also, the closed-cycle helium optical cryostat enables the spectrofluorometer for low-temperature measurements in the temperature range of ~10 K -400 K.

All types of (non-hazardous) samples, such as solid, liquid, thin film, and powder, can be characterised using this facility. For low-T measurements, the sample must be either a thin film or a solid pallet with minimum lateral dimensions of 20 mm x 20 mm.

The MOUDI Impactor is designed to collect size-fractionated particle samples in four equal geometrical intervals per decade of particle size for mass or chemical analyses. The nominal cut-size diameters for these impactors start at 10 µm and end at 10 nm for the current 125R model. The use of aluminium foils/PTFE filters of required pore size and diameter enables gravimetric mass collection to give size segregated mass concentrations and facilitate the use of foils/filters for further chemical analysis.

The MARGA-R is a state-of-the-art fully autonomous sampling and measurement system that continuously measures the water-soluble gas and aerosol components that have a direct effect on air quality. These results can then be used to study the formation of aerosols from their precursor gases and how their concentration and composition vary with diurnal and seasonal cycles.

The instrument uses ion chromatography to monitor air quality by measuring the concentration of water-soluble gases and aerosols in air (two cut sizes for aerosol). An air pump in combination with a critical orifice draws ambient air with an airflow of 1 m3/hour into the wet part cabinet via a size selective inlet (PM2.5 or PM1 or both simultaneously). The gases and the particulate matter part move separately inside the wet cabinet before finally being fed into the Ion Chromatograph for analysis.

Titan Krios (Thermofisher) cryo-electron microscope is an atomic resolution cryo-EM instrument with enhanced productivity, equipped with a Bioquantum K3 detector and energy filter (Amtek-Gatan). Along with the microscope, the facility has all accessories for frozen-hydrated sample preparation for single particle reconstruction and cryotomography. The facility can collect high-resolution data on biomolecules like proteins, protein complexes, viruses, nanoparticles, etc., and provide detailed information about cell and tissue sections.

CNC Integrated Hybrid Metal 3D Printer, a revolutionary solution that seamlessly combines the precision of CNC machining with the versatility of 3D printing. While traditionally viewed as competing technologies, our hybrid machine represents a paradigm shift, demonstrating the symbiotic relationship between 3D printing and machining. The synergy achieved in this integrated system allows for producing high-tolerance, intricately shaped components at an unprecedented speed. This cutting-edge technology optimizes efficiency and cost-effectiveness by eliminating the need for manual labor and the complexities of programming separate equipment. Hybrid manufacturing transcends the limitations of individual processes, offering a comprehensive solution that addresses the shortcomings of additive and subtractive manufacturing. By employing 3D printing to create near-net shape parts and seamlessly transitioning to CNC milling for precision finishing, manufacturers can now achieve complex geometries with the detailed surface quality of milled components. Whether building parts from scratch, adding features to existing components, performing repairs, or applying coatings, our hybrid machine delivers unparalleled versatility. Operating in either sequential or alternating modes, this technology ensures flexibility in manufacturing processes. Our CNC Integrated Hybrid Metal 3D Printer provides a streamlined and user-friendly experience supported by advanced software solutions like Siemens NX.

ThermofisherApreo 2SFESEM is a powerful analytical tool for the ultimate surface characterization of nanomaterials. The state-of-the-artFESEM features excellent ultra-high-resolution (UHR) imaging performance, especially for low electron beam energies. In addition, ThermofisherApreo 2SFESEM operates with a high-stability Schottky field emission gun to provide stable high-resolution analytical currentsup to 410 nA, to provide optimum conditions for microanalysis applications that require long acquisition times. Also, there is continuous beam current control and optimized aperture angle and beam deceleration with stage bias from −4,000 V to +600 V.