Lab Equipment

In brief descriptions, highlights of our lab equipment and instrumentation are listed below. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

Microscopy labs

cTRAP_confocalLumicks C-trap with confocal microscope

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.

contact: Pallavi Kumari
c-trap_epi_tirfLumicks C-trap with epifluorescence and TIRF microscope

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

contact: Kaan Ürgüp, Shanay Zafari
AFMJPK/Bruker atomic force microscope

We use the NanoWizard® 4 XP BioScience AFM for microscopy and force spectroscopy of biological materials. The AFM is combined with an Olympus IX83 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.

contact: Ruth Meyer, Anna Blob
stretcher_nov2020_220Optical stretcher

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.

contact: Jan-Philipp Burchert
IX83TIRF_cut_resizedIX83 Evident TIRF microscope

The IX83 Evident microscope with two-deck module system, is used to image fluorescent samples close to the substrate independent of potentially high fluorophore concentration in solution. Currently, the laser lines installed on the microscope include 488 nm, 561 nm and 640 nm. Furthermore, this set-up is equipped with a motorized TruFocus Z drift compensator and a CMOS camera, with up to 150x magnification.

Funded by the DFG.

contact: Tiago Mimoso, Saheli Dey
FCSmicroscopeOlympus IX73 microscope with FCS modality

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.

contact: Ulrike Rölleke
Confocal_microscope_IX83Olympus IX83 confocal microscope

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, 514nm 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.

contact: Ruth Meyer, Anna Blob
Confocal_microscope_IX81Olympus IX81 confocal microscope

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.

contact: Ulrike Rölleke, Anna Blob
FCSmicroscopeOlympus IX81 live cell microscope

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.

contact: Mangalika Sinha
IX83_PrimoOlympus IX83 with Alvéole PRIMO photo patterning setup

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.

contact: Tiago Mimoso, Anna Blob
Upright_microscope_BX63Olympus BX63 motorized upright fluorescence microscope

The fully automated Olympus BX63 upright microscope is equipped with different objectives 40x and 60x water dipping objectives and an incubation chamber. It allows for multidimensional imaging of fluorescent samples on opaque or strongly diffracting surfaces.

contact: Ruth Meyer
Upright_microscope_BX43Olympus BX43 upright fluorescence microscope

The upright microscope enables easy brightfield, phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy on thick samples and samples on opaque surfaces.

contact: Ruth Meyer
rheomoeterAnton Paar MCR 702e multidrive rheometer

The modular rheometer setup is used for performing rotational or oscillatory rheological measurements on various biological specimens and hydrogels in the torque range from 0.5 nNm to 230 mNm (maximum speed 3000 rpm). It comes with an option to switch between different geometries (currently: two cone-plate variants, one for small and one for large volumes). The instrument is also capable of maintaining a given sample temperature before and during the measurement.

contact: Mangalika Sinha, Kaan Ürgüp
xeussXenocs XEUSS 2.0 X-ray scattering setup

Our XEUSS 2.0 X-ray scattering instrument (Xenocs) includes a Cu K alpha micro focus source that generates photons of 8 keV. The beam size and the photon flux on the sample can be adjusted by changing the width of two scatterless slits between 0.25 x 0.25 mm2 and fully open. A typical experimental setting of the slits of 0.6 x 0.6 mm2 and 0.5 x 0.5 mm2 yields a total flux of 7.5 x 106 ph/s. 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 single photon counting detector, can be positioned at distances of approximately 360 mm, 540 mm, 1200 mm and 2500 mm.

Funded by the DFG and the MWK.

contact: Jan-Philipp Burchert, Peter Luley
mammaliansCell culture labs

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.

contact: Susanne Bauch, Kamila Sabagh, Ulrike Rölleke
preplabWet labs for sample preparation

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.

contact: Susanne Bauch, Kamila Sabagh, Ulrike Rölleke or any lab member
nanoscribe_220Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT2

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).

contact: Peter Luley

X-ray lab

xeussXenocs XEUSS 2.0 X-ray scattering setup

Our XEUSS 2.0 X-ray scattering instrument (Xenocs) includes a Cu K alpha micro focus source that generates photons of 8 keV. The beam size and the photon flux on the sample can be adjusted by changing the width of two scatterless slits between 0.25 x 0.25 mm2 and fully open. A typical experimental setting of the slits of 0.6 x 0.6 mm2 and 0.5 x 0.5 mm2 yields a total flux of 7.5 x 106 ph/s. 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 single photon counting detector, can be positioned at distances of approximately 360 mm, 540 mm, 1200 mm and 2500 mm.

Funded by the DFG and the MWK.

contact: Jan-Philipp Burchert, Peter Luley

Cell culture labs

mammaliansCell culture labs

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.

contact: Susanne Bauch, Kamila Sabagh, Ulrike Rölleke

Preparation labs

preplabWet labs for sample preparation

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.

contact: Susanne Bauch, Kamila Sabagh, Ulrike Rölleke or any lab member

Cleanroom

nanoscribe_220Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT2

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).

contact: Peter Luley