Zeiss LSM 880 NLO with fast Airyscan Confocal

A multifunctional system suited for studying diseases in their host environment.

The Zeiss LSM 880 NLO with fast Airyscan Confocal microscope is a well-equipped multi-photon system suitable for in vivo and in vitro studies of disease.

The system is equipped with a MaiTai DeepSee multi-photon laser tuneable from 690 nm – 1040 nm. This provides an excellent system well suited to intravital microscopy.

The microscope also features an Airyscan detection unit for an improved resolution of 1.7x that of diffraction limited confocal microscopy.

Equipment booking

Above: To image this whole lymph node in 3D, the organ was rendered optically transparent to permit a better penetration of the light for fluorescence microscopy imaging. Credit: Fanny Lafouresse and Verena Wimmer

Above: Intestinal villi imaged on the Zeiss LSM 880 microscope. Credit: Caleb Dawson

Objectives

Light sources

Diode laser – 405 nm
Argon laser – 458 nm, 488 nm, 594 nm
DPSS – 561 nm
HeNe – 633 nm
MaiTai DeepSee – 690 nm – 1040 nm

Detection source

2 x Big (GaAsP) NDD detectors
2 x NDD detectors
1 x 32 channel GaAsP array
1 x Airyscan Detector

Objective size	20	25	40	63
NA	1	0.8	1.3	1.4
Immersion media	Water (dipping)	Multi Water/Glycerine/Oil	Oil	Oil
XY-resolution (μm) (@ 488 nm)	0.297	0.372/0.372/0.372	0.229	0.212
Z-resolution (µm) (@ 488 nm)	1.3	2.031/2.246/2.314	0.876	0.755
Working distance (mm)	1.7	0.570	0.210	0.190

Above: This image captures various immune cells, identified by membrane staining, interacting together within a lymph node. Credit: Fanny Lafouresse and Verena Wimmer

Above: Cross section of a developing five-day old zebrafish intestine. Single mitochondria can be seen as small green donuts throughout the image. DNA within the nucleus (blue) and actin cytoskeleton (red) enable us to identify single cells. Credit: Stephen Mieruszynski

Technological specifications (capabilities)

Available modalities

Z-stack
Time-series
Tile scan
Multi positions
FRAP
Spectral unmixing
Online fingerprinting

Additional hardware

Airyscan detection
Fast Airyscan module

Unique features

The Zeiss LSM 880 NLO plus fast Airyscan Confocal microscope is a multi-functional two-photon microscope with numerous detection options including the Zeiss Airyscan and fast Airyscan modules for high resolution and high speed imaging respectively.

Above: 3D imaging enables researchers to visualise bone metastasis progression at single-cell resolution. Credit: Raymond Yip

Above: A group of red blood cells (magenta) infected by a malaria-causing parasite. Parasite DNA is shown in blue, some parasite proteins are shown in green. Credit: Michał Pasternak

Limitations

Not suited for live cellular samples
Photobleaching

Above: A Zeiss LSM 880 microscope at WEHI

Above: High resolution 3D imaging showing tumour cells induce the formation of new blood vessels to facilitate their growth within bone marrow. Credit: Raymond Yip