Leica Thunder Live Cell Compound Microscope

The newest addition to the Imaging Core is the Leica THUNDER Live Cell Fluorescent Compound Microscope.  Installed in December of 2021, this instrument is designed to image fixed and live samples in up to five channels with unprecedented speed and clarity.  Images are recorded with one of two high sensitivity and high-resolution widefield cameras, and then instantly deconvolved utilizing Leica’s proprietary Computational Clearing methodology to generate near-confocal clarity.  The speed of widefield imaging outperforms scanning confocal imaging in areas of rapid time-lapse recording, Calcium imaging, and reduction of phototoxicity.

The THUNDER Live Cell microscope is built upon Leica’s workhorse DMi8 fully-motorized inverted microscope, with stage holders for microscope slides, large and small petri dishes, and tissue culture plates.  Imaging is acquired via a suite of high-NA objectives ranging from 5X to 40X, all of which are dry to allow for rapid switching from low to high magnification without having to disturb the sample.  Two available cameras provide multi-channel fluorescence imaging via a high-sensitivity sCMOS B/W camera or high-resolution color imaging via a 12 bit CMOS RGB camera.  Rapid switching between fluorescent dye channels is augmented by the use of a single quad-cube excitation filter set coupled with an external emission filter wheel.  Light phototoxicity is reduced with an advanced real-time controlled 7-line LUMENCORE LED light source.  All components of the system are further speed-optimized by the use of an advanced real-time controller that synchronizes the stage movement, illumination, focus controls, and camera shutters.  Live cell imaging is enhanced with a suite of tools that keep the samples in focus over long periods of acquisition, and even track cells as they move over time.