Stedycon

Applications

STEDYCON is an extremely user-friendly STED (stimulated-emission-depletion) nanoscope module allowing super resolution imaging with two STED and four confocal channels. The device is aligned by design and does not require any complex alignment procedures before use. While confocal imaging is limited by light diffraction (lateral resolution of approx. 220-250 nm), STEDYCON offers 2D super resolution imaging possibilities, with lateral resolution reaching up to 30 nm. Of note, our STEDYCON device is made for imaging fixed biological samples only (no stage-top incubator for live-cell imaging). In addition, APD detectors allow single photon counting and open the door to applications such as FCS (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy).

STEDYCON video 1	STEDYCON 2	Confocal

Clathrin heavy chain observed in confocal and STED microscopy at 39nm resolution.	Nuclear pores (red) and Golgi apparatus (green) observed in confocal and STED microscopy at approx. 35 nm resolution.

We recommend this device for users who wish to take their first steps in nanoscopy. Please, note that specific fluorophores must be used to perform STED nanoscopy (different from fluorophores used for classical epifluorescence or confocal microscopy). Don’t hesitate to contact the platform personnel to know more about fluorophores adapted for STED.

Technical description

Inverted Zeiss Axio Observer 7 stand, with fully motorized Marzhauser stage (XYZ)
Excitation laser lines: 405 nm (continuous); 488, 561 and 640 nm (pulsed)
STED laser line (depletion): 775 nm (pulsed)
Detectors: 4 single-photon-counting APD modules
Objectives: 100x (Plan-Apochromat, NA 1.46, oil)
Drift correction: STEADYFOCUS (continuous laser-based hardware autofocus)
UV-Vis light source: None
Camera: None
Incubator: None
Antivibration table (active vibration isolation system)