High resolution live cell imaging!
Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is a new scanning probe microscopy (SPM) technique, 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.
- High resolution
- 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, a U.K. based company and manufacture of the ICnano, the first SICM instrument available to scientist and technologist.
Do you have an application for liquid imaging, but not sure if SICM is right for you? Contact Nanounity to discuss your application and schedule a demonstration.
Ionscope live cell imaging in action
One of the significant benefits of SICM is high resolution imaging of live cells. The video clip to the right is a sequence of images from amphibian renal cells (A6 cells) taken over a 24 hour period. During the sequence, you can see how the ridge structures are formed on the epithelial kidney cells. Individual microvilli emerge along side one another and gradually merge building up extended ridges. Capturing these dynamic processes at this resolution for an extended time frame would be difficult or impossible to achieve with other microscopy techniques.