Confocal laser-scanning microscope

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 434105924

Molecular imaging techniques play an important role in biomedical research. Fluorescence microscopy represents a tool to analyze and visualize cellular and subcellular processes. Thereby, the usage of conventional wide-field microscopy is limited due to limited resolution and blurring in particular for the examination of thick samples. Confocal microscopy represents a technique, which circumvents the limitations of classical wide-field microscopy by acquiring multiple optical sections through the objects to be examined. This allows for visualization of cellular and subcellular structures with high contrast and without superimposition. Moreover, Z-stack imaging enables three-dimensional visualizations of the specimen. Besides the analysis of fixed samples, high-resolution analyses of living cells can be performed by using an incubation chamber.Therefore, the departments of Internal Medicine und three associated institutes of the Medical Faculty of the Saarland University apply for a confocal laserscanning microscope for their research. In particular, the microscope will be used within the recently established DFG Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TRR 219 “Mechanisms of cardiovascular complications of chronic kidney disease”. The aim of the SFB/TRR 219 is to study the mechanisms, which lead to the development of cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic kidney disease together with the RWTH Aachen. Seven subprojects of the SFB/TRR 219 are located at the Medical Faculty of the Saarland University (the departments for Internal Medicine III and IV, and the Institute for Biophysics). The microscope will be extensively used in all of these subprojects. Besides, it will be used by all departments of Internal Medicine and the Institutes for Biophysics, Virology and Experimental Orthopedics.The microscope will be installed in the new building of the departments for Internal Medicine. For that purpose, a suitable room is available, so that no further technical requirements and expenditures are necessary. The device will be maintained by members of the research group of the Department for Internal Medicine IV with great expertise in confocal microscopy.The large number projects of the applying institutions guarantees optimal utilization of the microscope. Confocal microscopy would allow the applicants to further refine their own research and the research of the whole Medical Faculty of the Saarland University. In addition, the microscope would represent an important nucleus for the work of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TRR 219 and contribute to the prioritization of the Saarland University.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Konfokales Laser-Scanning Mikroskop
• Instrumentation Group: 5090 Spezialmikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Universität des Saarlandes
• Leader: Professor Dr. Danilo Fliser