Our lab offers services for advanced light microscopy (GLiM), nanomedicine (NanoMedicine Centre) and the standardization of enzymes (F.I.P.). 

Ghent Light Microscopy core facility

The Ghent Light Microscopy (GLiM) CORE at Ghent University is a university-wide core facility clustering expertise with both standard and specialized microscopes to support life science research located in Flanders, Belgium.

Wide-field microscopes

Overview of wide field microscopes present at the expertise centre and there unique features:

Nikon Ti widefield fluorescence microscope (inverted)

Instrument specifications

• Filter sets (UV to red)
  • DIA/DIC ANALYSER
  • DAPI (Ex. 387/11, Em. 447/60)
  • GFP-B (Ex. 472/30, Em. 520/35)
  • TRITC (Ex. 543/22, Em. 593/40)
  • Cy5 (Ex. 628/40, Em. 692/40)
  • GFP-L (472/30, Em. 488LP)
• Light sensitive, cooled EM-CCD camera (1000*1000 pixels)
• Nikon colour CMOS camera
• Incubator with temperature regulation at the microscope level and CO₂ at the cell culture level
• Fully automatic filter wheels, objectives, XY-Stage, light source, …
• Perfect Focus System
• Extended software for recording and visualization of multi-dimensional (X, Y, Z, Lambda, t) images

Additional filter sets (in closet, not installed):

• BV-2A (Ex. 420/40, Em. 470LP) 
• TRITC (Ex. 540/25, Em. 540/25) 
• DAPI-FITC
• YFP-BP (Ex. 500/20, Em. 535/30)

Leica DM6 B: automated upright fluorescence microscope.

Instrument specifications

• Moterized z-focus and stage
• Stage insert for 4 slides
• White light LED 
• Metal halide lamp (fluorescence)
• Filter sets
  • DAPI(Ex. BP 360/40, DM LM400, Em. BP470/40)
  • BLUE (Ex. BP 480/40, DM 505, Em. BP527/30)
  • RHOD (Ex. BP 546/10, DM LP560, Em.  BP585/40)
  • Y5 (Ex. BP620/60, DM 660, Em.  BP700/75)
• Objective lenses
  • HC PL FLUOTAR 20x/0.50
  • HC PL APO 63x/1.40­0.60 OIL
  • HCX PL APO 40x/1.30 OIL
  • HCX PL APO 100x/1.40­0.70 OIL
• Black/White CCD camera with NIR mode (Leica DFC365 FX)
  • max 21 fps
  • 1392×1040 pixels
• LAS X software

Lionheart™ FX Automated Microscope 

The lionheart FX is an automated microscope that allows brightfield, color brightfield and fluorescence widefield imaging. The microscope is optimized for automated image acquisition over time and contains an incubator for temperature control. Automated image pre-processing optimizes images for downstream analysis, from cell counting to characterization of subcellular details

• Sampleholder
  • four 35 mm round dishes
  • multiwell plates
  • 2-position slide holder
• Autofocus: Image based and laser based
• Environmental control cover: For temperature control to 40 °C and “darkroom” fluorescence, incl. Humidity control chamber
• Objectives
  • 20x Objective, Olympus Plan Apochromat, NA 0.4, WD 1.2
  • 2.5x (2.75x eff), Zeiss Plan Fluorite, NA 0.12, WD 2.5
  • High contrast brightfield kit, 4x Objective included

• Filter cubes & LEDs
  • DAPI filter cube: Ex. 377/50 Em. 447/60 mirror 409
    365 nm LED cube
  • GFP filter cube: Ex. 469/35 Em. 525/39 mirror 497
    465 nm LED cub
  • Texas Red filter cube: Ex. 586/15 Em. 647/57 mirror 605
    590 nm LED cube
  • CY5 Filter cube: Ex. 628/40 Em. 685/40 mirror 660
    623nm LED cube
• Software GEN5IPRIME (Gen5 Image Prime)

Nikon C2 microscope

Instrument specifications

Microscope Stand: Ti2-E Inverted Microscope

• motorized stage
• Perfect Focus System

Objectives

• 20X: CFI Plan Apochromat Lambda D 20X, NA 0.8, WD 0.8, AIR (MRD70270)
• 40X: CFI Plan Fluor 40X, NA 0.75, WD 0.66, AIR (MRH00405)
• 40X: CFI Plan Apochromat Lambda D 40X, NA 0.95, WD 0.21 (MRD70470)
• 60X WI: CFI Plan Apo VC 60XC WI, NA 1.2, WD 0.31-0.28 (MRD07602)
• 60X Oil: CFI Plan Apochromat Lambda D 60X Oil, NA 1.42, WD 0.15 (MRD71670)
• 100X oil: CFI HP Plan Apo VC 100X Oil NA 1.4, WD 0.13 (MRD01902)

Filter cubes

• DAPI
• FITC
• TRITC

Camera

NanoMedicine Centre

The NanoMedicine Centre provides end-to-end solutions for the formulation of promising bio-therapeutics into nanoparticles. 

Services

• Consultation on formulation and delivery of bio-therapeutics
• Formulation of bio-therapeutics in state-of-the art lipid nanoparticles
• In-dept characterization of nanomedicines

Center for Pharmaceutical Enzyme Standards

Our lab hosts the FIP Centre for Pharmaceutical Enzyme Standards which has a coordination function in organizing collaborative enzyme assays between academic, industrial and national pharmaceutical control laboratories and in distributing FIP enzyme standards all over the world.