Posts on Jan 1970

U28-S021. Nuclear Molecular Imaging (PET/SPECT/CT)(Onsite&Remote)

Applications:

U28-S020. High Content Screening

High Content Screening

High content screening (HCS) attempts to bridge the gap between microscopy and cytometry, providing both large quantities of statically useful and phenotypically rich data. HCS combines automated microscopy with customizable algorithms able to detect and quantify many different types of phenotypic information in both fixed and living cultured cells. The Perkin Elmer Operetta HCS system combines automated imaging with advanced Harmony HCS software, which contains many common algorithms such as nuclei and cell detection, as well as the ability to automatically detect complex phenotypes through machine learning.

Customer benefits

We have SOPs and ISO9001 certification. We also have specialist technicians for the use of the equipment.

This service is essential to:

• Fast and statistically robust toxicity assays using adherent cells with the advantage of being able to visually confirm cell morphology.
• Drug dose-response curve calculation: On a single plate, multiple concentrations or combinations of compounds can be easily and quickly tested.
• Screening for specific phenotypes in cultured cells using libraries of small molecules, siRNAs, or other biologically-active collections.
• Screening for complex phenotypes: many cytological effects cannot be detected easily by cytometry Operetta allows complex phenotypes (eg organelle distribution or cell organization changes) to be detected automatically and reliably.
• Long-term cell culture studies: Operetta is equipped with temperature and CO2 control, making it suitable for maintaining live cultured cells in optimal conditions during image acquisition.

Target customer

Any company or research group interested in:

• High content screening design and setup advice The most important step in performing a successful HCS screen is good experimental design and planning.
• Experimental validation and pilot study testing For more complex projects, it is essential to perform preliminary tests to identify possible problems with labeling, marker expression, cell morphology, and other sources of variability before expending valuable time and reagents.
• Custom experiments and HCS analysis design: we can design both assays and custom automatic image analysis pipelines using the Harmony platform based on your requirements.
• Integrated cytotoxicity testing service We have developed robust protocols from the incubation of cultured cells with test compounds to measuring cytotoxic responses at different time points Different criteria such as plasma membrane integrity, metabolic activity, or intracellular esterase activity can be chosen depending on experimental requirements.

References

1. E. Gómez-González, C. Caro, M.L. García-Martín, A.I. Becerro,* M Ocaña. Outstanding MRI contrast with Dysprosium phosphate Nanoparticles of tuneable size. Nanoscale 2022, 14, 11461-11470. doi: 10.1039/D2NR02630A
2. Caro C, Guzzi C, Moral-Sánchez I, Urbano-Gámez JD, Beltrán AM, García-Martín ML. Smart Design of ZnFe and ZnFe@Fe Nanoparticles for MRI-Tracked Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy: Challenging Classical Theories of Nanoparticles Growth and Nanomagnetism. Adv Healthc Mater. 2024 Feb 2:e2304044. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202304044. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38303644.

U28-S019. Fluorescence microscopy

Fluorescence microscopy

Conventional widefield fluorescence microscopy is still the best choice for many applications. The CCD and CMOS-based sensors used for conventional microscopy are typically much more sensitive than the photomultiplier tubes used in confocal microscopes and flow cytometers. As the camera captures the whole field of view at the same time, it also allows for faster imaging in many cases. Examples where conventional microscopy may be advantageous include the visualization of individual molecules, receptors, or small organisms such as bacteria and yeast.

Customer benefits

We have SOPs and ISO9001 certification. We also have specialist technicians for the use of the equipment.

This service is essential to:

• Nanoscale imaging of fixed samples
• Dynamic imaging of cytoskeletal structures, focal adhesion formation, as well as endocytosis and vesicle dynamics in live cells.
• Fluorescent analysis of histological samples.

Target customer

Any company or research group interested in:

• Long-term (>4 days) imaging of bacterial colonies and bacterial interactions using DIC, temperature control, autofocus, and multi-field imaging.
• Routine multi-color fluorescent analysis of histological samples where confocal or other more advanced methods are not necessary.
• Imaging of bone, muscle, or connective tissues in histological samples using circularly-polarised light.

References

Carrillo P, Bernal M, Téllez-Quijorna C, Marrero AD, Vidal I, Castilla L, Caro C, Domínguez A, García-Martín ML, Quesada AR, Medina MA, Martínez-Poveda B. The synthetic molecule stauprimide impairs cell growth and migration in triple-negative breast cancer. Biomed Pharmacother. 2023 Feb;158:114070. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114070. Epub 2022 Dec 14. PMID: 36526536.

U28-S018. Super-resolution microscopy

Super-resolution microscopy

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (or TIRF) is a powerful technique that combines the sensitivity of conventional fluorescence with selective illumination to improve the contrast of features very close to the sample coverslip. TIRF is often used for studies related to membrane dynamics, receptor-ligand interactions, and vesicular transport.
The intrinsic diffraction of light has historically made it difficult to use fluorescence to distinguish structures closer than 200nm apart. Super-resolution microscopy refers to techniques that selectively activate fluorescent molecules to map their position with up to 10 times more accuracy than conventional fluorescent microscopy. The Nikon N-Storm system is capable of localizing molecules with a resolution of up to 20nm and is compatible with all most current localization protocols and fluorophores (including Alexafluor 647 and Atto488).

Customer benefits

We have SOPs and ISO9001 certification. We also have specialist technicians for the use of the equipment.

This service is essential to:

• Nanoscale imaging of fixed samples
• Dynamic imaging of cytoskeletal structures, focal adhesion formation, as well as endocytosis and vesicle dynamics in live cells.
• Single-molecule studies and localization microscopy modalities including N-STORM, Direct STORM, and PALM.
• Fluorescent analysis of histological samples.

Target customer

Any company or research group interested in:

• STORM image processing: we can convert localization imaging data into SR images using both proprietary and open source software packages.
• TIRF imaging of membrane and/or cytoskeletal dynamics in live adherent cells using commercial fluorescent labels such as DiR, FM4-64, and Cell-Light or user-supplied reagents.