From CLEM to chemical contrast

Thursday. May 23, 2019

Robert Kirmse¹, Volker Schweikhard²

Leica Microsystems GmbH, Hernalser Hauptstraße 219, Vienna, Austria

Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Am Friedensplatz 3, Mannheim, Germany

Abstract

Our presentation will cover two topics:

(1) With the new Leica Nano Workflow, searching for the needle in the haystack is a thing of the past. Take advantage of correlative light and electron microscopy to identify directly the right cell at the right time and put dynamic live cell data into the ultrastructural context. The newly developed Nano Workflow gives you an integrated solution from targeting to insights that will boost your research. In this session we will demonstrate the benefits of the first commercial live-cell CLEM workflow without compromising health and integrity of the specimen.

(2) Coherent Raman Scattering microscopy (CRS), a powerful new approach for label-free, chemically specific imaging, based on the characteristic intrinsic vibrational contrast of the sample molecules. CRS provides information on the biochemical composition and metabolic processes in cells, tissues, and intact model organisms, at sub-cellular-resolution and up to video-rate. This information is highly synergistic with the molecular contrast provided by fluorescence microscopy. Unsurprisingly, CRS is finding a growing number of applications in fields like neurodegenerative disease, cancer, 3D biology, stem cell and developmental biology, and pharmacology. Here, we introduce the all-new STELLARIS 8 CRS – Leica’s hands-free Coherent Raman Scattering microscopy platform. It offers the two popular CRS modalities – Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) and CARS – and allows for the simultaneous acquisition of two-photon fluorescence and second-harmonic generation signals. Importantly, the seamless integration of CRS with the STELLARIS visible confocal fluorescence microscopy platform results in a true multi-modal optical discovery platform that is capable of capturing a unique combination of biochemical, biophysical and molecular contrasts.