Lab Equipment

A 21 W 1064 nm laser can be used to generate one, two or four traps simultaneously with high trapping forces. The set-up is combined with a pressure-driven microfluidic setup and a confocal microscope with 488 nm, 532 nm and 638 nm lasers.

Funded by the ERC.

A 21 W 1064 nm laser can be used to generate one, two or four traps simultaneously with high trapping forces. The set-up is combined with a pressure-driven microfluidic setup and a wide field fluorescence and TIRF microscope.

Funded by REACT-EU, more details see here

We use the NanoWizard® 4 XP BioScience AFM for microscopy and force spectroscopy of biological materials. The AFM is combined with an Olympus IX73 which allows the direct overlay of fluorescence images and AFM images. The optional HybridStage increases the scanning field from 100 µm × 100 µm × 15 µm to 200 µm x 200 µm x 200 µm.

Funded by the DFG and the MWK.

We run an optical stretcher (by RSZelltechnik GmbH) for contactless stretching of single cells, combining a microfluidic cell delivery system with intense, divergent laser light (1060 nm). It can be mounted on a fluorescence microscope, but our measurement chamber has been optimized for x-ray applications using our in-house setups as well as synchrotron stations.

Funded by the BMBF.

With the IX71 Olympus TIRF setup, we can image fluorescent samples close to the substrate independent of a potentially high fluorophore concentration in solution. For example, the setup enables us to observe the dynamic instability of microtubules. The setup is equipped with a 488-nm laser, a 561-nm laser, an oil immersion TIRF objective (NA = 1.45, 150x) and a digital CMOS camera.

Funded by the DFG.

The IX73 Olympus FCS setup has a conventional epi-fluorescence component and a home-built confocal component for high imaging flexibility. With the confocal component, fluorescence fluctuation techniques, such as FCS, PCH or FCCS can be employed. The setup is equipped with a 491-nm and a 532-nm laser for two color measurements, a 60x water immersion objective and two τ-SPAD detectors for FFS and a digital CMOS camera for epi-fluorescence recordings.

Funded by the DFG.

The IX83 Olympus with Fluoview 3000 enables both epi-fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy with high sensitvity and speed using laser lines of 405nm, 488nm, 561nm and 640nm. With a magnification up to 100x it is used for fixed samples as well as live-cell imaging in combination with a top-stage incubator. Our setup is also equipped with a "Caliburn" laser-cutting system from Rapp OptoElectronic GmbH.

Funded by the DFG.

The IX81 confocal setup offers both widefield epi-fluorescence and confocal fluorescence microscopy. It is equipped with objectives up to a magnification of 100x (oil immersion, NA=1.4), laser lines of 405nm, 458 nm, 488 nm, 515 nm, 561 nm and 635 nm and a CMOS camera. In combination with a top stage incubator it enables multi-color fluorescence live cell imaging.

Funded by the DFG.

The IX81 cell setup offers widefield epi-fluorescence microscopy. Currently, it is equipped with objectives up to a magnification of 60x (oil immersion, NA=1.49) and in combination with a Retiga 6000 CCD camera with very small pixel size it is suitable for Traction Force Microscopy (TFM). The top stage incubator allows the investigation of living cells. Additionally, the microscope is equipped with a Chiaro nanoindentor from Optics11 that measures elastic properties like the Young's modulus of samples.

Funded by the DFG.

The photo patterning setup allows for contact-less micro patterning of proteins. A virtual mask is generated, through which a photoactive reagent locally degrades a passivation layer on the sample surface. Micrometer scale patterns of different shapes and sizes can be generated and used for cell culture or protein interaction studies.

Funded by the DFG.

On both of our upright microscopes, the Olympus BX43 and the Olympus BX63, 40x and 60x water immersion objectives allow imaging on fluorescent samples on opaque or strongly diffracting surfaces.

Our XEUSS 2.0 x-ray scattering instrument by Xenocs includes a Cu K alpha micro x-ray source that generates photons of 8 keV and a flux of approximately 40Mph/s. Scatterless slits set the pencil beam size to 800 x 800 µm² or 500 x 500 µm² at the sample. The sample chamber enables ambient as well as vacuum conditions. The sample stage accepts various sample holders for scanning in two directions. Mounts for dried samples in different sizes are available. For liquid samples, the setup is equipped with sample holders for batches of glass capillaries and a low noise flow cell. The 1M Pilatus x-ray detector, a 2d hybrid pixel detector, is positioned with a distance between 0.1 to 6 m, enabling WAXS and SAXS.

Funded by the DFG and the MWK.

We have two cell culture labs. The bacterial lab is mainly used to grow genetically modified E.coli cultures and thereof preparing recombinant proteins (mainly intermediate filaments), which are further used in a variety of experiments. In the mammalian cell culture lab we culture epithelial cells, fibroblasts, cardiomyocytes and blood platelets. Using techniques like liposome-based transfection or electroporation we specifically modify the cells and investigate them using live cell imaging techniques or various fixation methods combined with antibody staining.

We have two preparation labs which are equipped with, for example, ultra centrifuges, refrigerated centrifuges, plasma cleaners, a spin coater, UV-Vis spectrometer, thermocyclers, -80°C freezers and a clean bench for microfluidics.

In the cleanroom (F.-1.117), we use a Photonic Professional GT2 by Nanoscribe, a microfabrication system for ultra-precise and rapid 3d printing. It combines the precision of two-photon polymerization with a straightforward 3d printing workflow for nano- and microscale structures, e.g. for microfluidics or microoptics. It offers high-speed 3D microfabrication of lateral feature sizes down to typ. 160 nm, but also includes a large features solution set for millimeter-sized parts (up to 100 × 100 × 8 mm³).

Funded by the DFG (MBExC).