Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI)

 
The laboratory for functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) is equipped with high-tech instrumentation for quantitative study of molecular interactions in live cells using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS) and quantitative Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). We have two systems, the ConfoCor2 system for quantitative study of molecular interactions in solutions and a uniquely modified ConfoCor3 system for quantitative study of molecular interactions in live cells. Each system consists of an inverted microscope for transmitted light and epifluorescence (Axiovert 200 M, Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH, Jena, Germany) and a VIS-laser module comprising the Ar-ion (458, 477, 488 and 514 nm), HeNe 543 nm and HeNe 633 nm lasers for continuous-wave excitation. In addition, the ConfoCor3 instrument is equipped with a scanning module LSM 510 META modified to enable detection in the imaging mode using silicone avalanche photodiodes (APD imaging) and the FCS module with three detection channels.