Imaging

We have developed specific expertise in the acquisition of images of very diverse bacterial cells under living conditions. Photonic microscopes have been configured to automatically produce very large amounts of images for statistical analysis. All the metric scales of microbial samples are covered :

– Macroscopic : A macro SLR camera with diascopic and episcopic lightening (1 to 30 cm). Petri dish cultures, smb microplates, cell colonies.

– Intermediate macroscopy : Stereo microscope with scientific color camera, diascopic and episcopic lightening (0.5 mm to 2 cm), colonies, small multicellular structures

– Microscopy : 10x, 20x, 40x, 100x objectives, fluorescence (DAPI, CFP, GFP, YFP, mCherry filters), phase contrast and bright field. Temperature controlled, full automatized acquisitions. (200 nm to 5 mm), micro colonies, multicellular structures, single cells, intracellular process.

We cover 6 orders of magnitude of spatial scales.

A successful microscopic imaging of bacteria is the combination of many techniques developed such as: the preparation of slides compatible with the observation with the objective (100 x oil) of living bacterial cells, efficient autofocus and/or servo focusing control with nanometric precision, multi-channel fluorescence, correct O2/CO2 exchanges, etc…