by Jake Jones and Britta Frenzel, Associate Product Managers, Evident Scientific
When it comes to upgrading your live-cell microscope, whether you are simply adding on features or replacing it entirely, the options can seem overwhelming. What kind of optics do you need? What kind of incubation system is best for your cells? The beauty of having countless options is that you can build a microscope to fit your specific research needs. Live-cell imaging requires consideration of many important factors for experimental success. This article reviews the most common requirements, including incubation, imaging modalities, sample types, equipment flexibility, and facility readiness.
Experimental success
Live cells require careful maintenance of their environment to grow and thrive, and various microscope-based incubation systems are available to meet evolving research needs. Full enclosure-type incubation systems enable time-lapse observations over a period of several days. These types of incubators enable precise control of CO2 or N2 gas concentrations, temperature, and humidity to maintain constant environmental conditions for cells in dishes or well plates. As materials comprising the microscope frame go through cycles of heat and cooling, the frame can expand or contract, resulting in samples drifting out of focus over time.
Full enclosure incubators can help minimize gradual thermal drift in microscope frame assemblies by heating the whole frame to a constant and steady temperature before experimental imaging begins. Certain full enclosure units also offer sterility controls and air filtration, similar to a cell culture hood, which protects sensitive samples that risk contamination during multi-day time-lapse experiments.
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