Live Cell Imaging
With the variety of fluorescent proteins and multicolored probes that have been developed, it is now possible to label virtually any molecule. The ability to visualize protein dynamics in vesicles, organelles, cells, and tissues has provided new insights into how cells function in healthy and disease states. These insights include the spatiotemporal dynamics of processes like mitosis, embryonic development, and cytoskeleton changes.
When studying live cells, common obstacles include phototoxicity and photodamage. To capture fast biological processes, it is crucial to keep the cells healthy and obtain crisp images for reliable data that are free of artifacts. Live‐cell microscopy often requires a compromise between image quality and cell health. During imaging, certain environmental conditions must be maintained to avoid changes in the cells.
A variety of high-performance Leica imaging solutions can overcome these challenges for live-cell imaging enabling new information for cellular physiology and dynamics to be discovered.
Our experts on solutions for live cell imaging applications are happy to help you with their advice.
Cell Viability & Dynamics During Imaging
Leica Microsystems provides you with intelligent innovations in live-cell imaging. Our solutions help you get the best image quality while protecting your samples.
Most cellular processes occur in 3 dimensions over time. Therefore, cells need to be imaged in four dimensions (XYZ and time) to obtain a complete picture. Time‐lapse imaging is used to capture cell events over timescales from seconds to months. Repeated imaging of cells at particular points in time is also possible. To protect cell viability during this process, live-cell imaging requires the temperature, pH, and humidity to be kept under control. Light exposure should also be at a minimum to avoid phototoxicity.
Leica Microsystems offers imaging solutions that help optimize your study of live cells, even over long periods of time. They provide the necessary image contrast and resolution to facilitate the analysis of dynamic events. Some Leica systems also enable high-speed imaging, so no key cellular events are missed.
Your Live Cell Imaging Needs
To perform successful live-cell imaging experiments, using the right platform is critical. When choosing an optical microscope for live‐cell imaging, the following 3 variables should be considered: detector sensitivity (signal‐to‐noise ratio), specimen viability, and image-acquisition speed.
Methods suitable for live-cell applications enable visualization of the dynamics without causing cell damage, as it can affect the results.
Live‐cell imaging is mainly performed with fluorescence microscopy. Widefield microscopy, providing flexible excitation and fast acquisition, is typically used to visualize cell dynamics and development over long times. Confocal microscopy is typically used to study subcellular dynamic events. Multiphoton microscopy alllows excitation with longer wavelength light reducing photobleaching and extending cell viability. Finally, fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) can be applied to study fast dynamic signaling events in cells.
Leica Microsystems offers the latest innovations in widefield and confocal imaging technologies for fast 3D live cell imaging with the THUNDER Imagers, STELLARIS confocal platform, and FLIM.
Live Cell Imaging Products
Filter by Area of Application
STELLARIS
With the STELLARIS confocal platform, we have re-imagined confocal microscopy to get you closer to the truth.
THUNDER Imager Model Organism
The THUNDER Imager Model Organism allows fast and easy 3D exploration of whole organisms for developmental or molecular biology research.
STELLARIS DLS
Discover new applications by combining confocal and light-sheet microscopy
K5
sCMOS Microscope Camera
THUNDER Imager Live Cell & 3D Cell Culture & 3D Assay
THUNDER Imagers provide you with a solution for advanced 3D cell culture assays, whether you want to study stem cells, spheroids, or organoids.
THUNDER Imager Tissue
The THUNDER Imager Tissue allows real-time fluorescence imaging of 3D tissue sections typically used in neuroscience and histology research.
STELLARIS 8 FALCON
The contrast is clear. Lifetime imaging in an instant.
PAULA
Smart Cell Imager
LAS X Life Science
Software platform for life science applications
DMi8 S Platform
For routine to live cell research
Infinity TIRF
Multicolor advanced TIRF module
Leica DMi1
Entry level inverted microscope
Leica DM IL LED
Inverted Laboratory Microscope with LED Illumination
Leica DFC365 FX
1.4 MP cooled monochrome camera for standard live cell imaging of GFP-expressing cells and tissues
About Live Cell Imaging
Besides the structural organization of cells or organs, dynamic processes are a major contributor to a functioning biological entity. Naturally, these processes can be best observed in living cells with non-invasive techniques like optical methods, collectively called “live-cell imaging” methods. Live-cell imaging covers all techniques where live cells are observed with microscopes – from the observation of embryogenesis with stereo microscopes, via cell growth studies with compound microscopes, until studies of physiological states of cells or cellular transport using fluorescent dyes or proteins. Although being highly demanding for both, experimenter and equipment (e.g. imaging systems, climate control), live-cell imaging techniques deliver results that are indispensable for present-day research.
Image Gallery: THUNDER Imager
To help you answer important scientific questions, THUNDER Imagers eliminate the out-of-focus blur that clouds the view of thick samples when using camera-based fluorescence microscopes. They achieve…Read article
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An Introduction to Computational Clearing
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Computational Clearing - Enhance 3D Specimen Imaging
This webinar is designed to clarify crucial specifications that contribute to THUNDER Imagers' transformative visualization of 3D samples and improvements within a researcher's imaging-related…Read article
THUNDER Imagers: High Performance, Versatility and Ease-of-Use for your Everyday Imaging Workflows
This webinar will showcase the versatility and performance of THUNDER Imagers in many different life science applications: from counting nuclei in retina sections and RNA molecules in cancer tissue…Read article
Multiphoton Microscopy Publication List
Multiphoton Microscopy is an advanced technique for imaging thick samples. Applications range from the visualization of the complex architecture of the whole brain to the study of tumor development…Read article
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How can PAULA help streamline the workflow for my wound healing assay?
The wound healing assay, often used as a synonym for scratch assay or migration assay, is an important tool for the evaluation and measurement of cell migration, whether single cells or cell…Read article
THUNDER Technology Note
So far, widefield microscopy was not suitable to image larger volumes, since the contrast of the recorded fluorescence image is reduced by the background (BG) mainly originating from out of focus…Read article
Confluency Check with PAULA Cell Imager
Many cell-based experiments require cells in a certain state. This can include their morphology, fluorescent protein expression, and the confluency of the cell layer. Researchers check their cells…Read article
Simultaneously Measuring Image Features and Resolution in Live-Cell STED Images
Reliable interpretation and quantification of cellular features in fluorescence microscopy requires an accurate estimate of microscope resolution. This is typically obtained by measuring the image of…Read article
Solvent immersion imprint lithography
We expand upon our recent, fundamental report on solvent immersion imprint lithography (SIIL) and describe a semi-automated and high-performance procedure for prototyping polymer microfluidics and…Read article
Adipose Stem Cells Display Higher Regenerative Capacities and More Adaptable Electro-Kinetic Properties Compared to Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
Adipose stem cells (ASCs) have recently emerged as a more viable source for clinical applications, compared to bone-marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) because of their abundance and easy…Read article
Introduction to Mammalian Cell Culture
Mammalian cell culture is one of the basic pillars of life sciences. Without the ability to grow cells in the lab, the fast progress in disciplines like cell biology, immunology, or cancer research…Read article
Graphene-Based Microbots for Toxic Heavy Metal Removal and Recovery from Water
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Real Time Observation of Neutrophil White Blood Cell Recruitment to Bacterial Infection In Vivo
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an emerging vertebrate model organism to study infection. The transparent larva comprises a fully functional innate immune system and enables live imaging of fluorescent…Read article
Five Questions Asked: Prof. Dr. Jacco van Rheenen speaks about the most important considerations when imaging deep into mouse tissue
When operating a confocal microscope, or when discussing features and parameters of such a device, we inescapably mention the pinhole and its diameter. This short introductory document is meant to…Read article
Clap On, Clap Off. Protein On, Protein Off
Unlike genetic or pharmacological manipulation, light-controlled proteins respond immediately, can be temporally and spatially triggered, are reversible, and are specific to the protein of interest.…Read article
Chronic Inflammation Under the Microscope
In the course of chronic inflammation certain body areas are recurrently inflamed. This goes along with many human diseases. With the help of widefield light microscopy, the underlying processes can…Read article
Super-Resolution Optical Microscopy of Lipid Plasma Membrane Dynamics
Plasma membrane dynamics are an important ruler of cellular activity, particularly through the interaction and diffusion dynamics of membrane-embedded proteins and lipids. FCS (fluorescence…Read article
Discovery of Novel Peptides Targeting Pro-Atherogenic Endothelium in Disturbed Flow Regions -Targeted siRNA Delivery to Pro-Atherogenic Endothelium in vivo
Application example of HyVolution Super-Resolution - Atherosclerosis occurs preferentially in arterial regions exposed to disturbed blood flow. Targeting these pro-atherogenic regions is a potential…Read article
Work More Efficiently in Developmental Biology With Stereo Microscopy: Zebrafish, Medaka, and Xenopus
Among the aquatic model organisms used in molecular and developmental biology the most prominent are the zebrafish (genus species: Danio rerio), medaka or japanese rice fish (genus species: Oryzias…Read article
Work More Efficiently In Developmental Biology With Stereo Microscopy: Fruit Flies (Drosophila Melanogaster)
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Adeno-associated Viral Vectors do not Efficiently Target Muscle Satellite Cells
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Highly Selective Fluorescent and Colorimetric Probe for Live-cell Monitoring of Sulphide Based on Bioorthogonal Reaction
H2S is the third endogenously generated gaseous signaling compound and has also been known to involve a variety of physiological processes. To better understand its physiological and pathological…Read article
STED-FLCS: An Advanced Tool to Reveal Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Molecular Membrane Dynamics
Heterogeneous diffusion dynamics of molecules play an important role in many cellular signaling events, such as of lipids in plasma membrane bioactivity. However, these dynamics can often only be…Read article
Label-free in vivo Imaging of Myelinated Axons in Health and Disease with Spectral Confocal Reflectance Microscopy
We report a new technique for high-resolution in vivo imaging of myelinated axons in the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve that requires no fluorescent labeling. This method, based on spectral…Read article
