High resolution live cell imaging!  

Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is a new scanning probe microscopy (SPM) technique, that is able to produce high resolution images of living cells. SICM is unlike other SPM techniques that require the use of a laser bouncing off the back of a cantilever to maintain constant feedback to acquire an image. This new approach is optimized for scanning soft materials, without contact, in an aqueous environment. SICM uses a modulated probe with ion conductance feedback. The modulated nanopipette probe is scanned above the sample surface and acquires an image without contacting or damaging the sample.

Here are a few of the benefits you'll experience with SICM!

• High resolution of living cells
• Nanoscale imaging
• 3 dimensional data
• Realworld sample conditions
• Live cells immersed in liquid
• No sample fixation required
• User Friendly
• No laser alignment
• No cantilever mounting
• No surface contact

Nanounity represents ionscope Ltd., a U.K. based company and manufacturer of the ICnano, the first SICM instrument available to scientist and technologist.

SICM opens the door to many new areas of investigation of living cells and soft matter including;

• High resolution observation of cell dynamics over extended time periods 
• Single channel patch clamping or "smart patch clamping" 
• Acquire fluorescence and surface image with a single scan
• Correlation of fluorescence and surface images

We would like to thank Dr. Jim Gimzewski and Dr. Adam Stieg of California nanoSystems Institute for hosting our recent ionscope workshop.  More than 40 people attended the seminar and live product demonstrations. Following the workshop, many attendees scheduled personal time slots and were able to acquire data from their own samples including stem cells, Neurons and bio-polymers.  While running samples, ionscope demonstrated the unique capabilities that SICM and hopping mode provide to image living cells.

Nanounity and ionscope will continue a series of Scanning Ion Conductance workshops across the U.S.  If you have liquid scanning or live cell applications and would like to hold a workshop, please feel free to contact us. We are more than happy to visit your company or institution and show you how Scanning Ion Conductance works in your specific area of interest. You may contact any Nanounity representative in the U.S. or ionscope to arrange a time.