2-Photon Microscopy
Tumor in mice bones. In Red: mKeima fluorescence in tumor cell cytoplasm. In Green: GFP fluorescence in nucleus of tumor cells and bone marrow monocytes. In Blue: second harmonic signal (460nm) generated by collagen present in the cortical region of the bone . Xin Lu, Kang's lab
Two-photon laser scanning microscopy is particularly well adapted for in-vivo observations of weakly fluorescent scattering samples (ex: fly embryos, neuronal tissues...).
It offers several advantages compared to confocal microscopy:
- Less photo-damage; Photo-damage is restricted to the focal plane. As a result, longer time-lapse imaging can be done.
- Higher fluorescence collection efficiency: With two-photon, it is not necessary to refocus the fluorescent signal through a confocal aperture, therefore even scattered photons contribute to the usable signal.
- Deeper penetration in thick and scattering tissues: The scattering of light by thick and cloudy specimens does not interfere with image formation, allowing much deeper penetration into tissues.
The facility offers several two-photon laser scanning microscopes.
