Super Resolution Microscopy

Photon Lines’s partner, Abberior Instruments was founded by the Nobel prize Laureate inventors of the super resolution microscopy technique, STED. When their founder, Stefan Hell, received the call from the Nobel committee informing him that he and two others were to receive the 2014 prize for Chemistry, his reaction was with mixed feelings, as he had already started working on the next development from STED, known as MINFLUX. Now, six years later, MINFLUX is a real product, and it allows structures the size of a single molecule to be resolved. Abberior Instruments now have a whole portfolio of solutions, from the “starter” model, STEDYCON, which is a microscope add-on confocal and 2-D STED system, to the above mentioned MINFLUX, and a system known as Infinity, which is customisable and upgradeable, allowing new functionality to be added, if necessary, years after the initial purchase. The choice of system strongly depends on needs, budgets and applications, but Abberior Instruments’ portfolio includes a wide range of confocal and super resolution techniques, and they have a range of “Expert Devices” which can be incorporated into their systems, including continuously variable spectral detection the so called Rainbow Detection system, and their new Matrix Detector, which drastically improves signal-to-background ratio, resolution, and dynamic range.
The Microscope Facility Manager is an important recipient of Abberior Instruments’ expertise, since they developed the Facility Line specifically with him or her in mind. It was designed with ease of use and versatility as basic requirements, since many of the facilities around the world are expected to provide solutions for up to 300 scientists, all with different needs and applications. The Facility Line provides fast reliable results, and although the product is very robust and reliable, should the need ever arise for prompt assistance, many issues can be resolved using Abberior’s excellent remote support. This can be in the form of a simple phone call, or for more complex issues, a remote technician can log in to the system, and carry out quite advanced tasks, including alignment and beam shaping. This allows the customer to be up and running quickly, to continue what are often time-bound experiments in the busy microscope facility environment. Where customers request a more “hands-on” approach, Abberior Instruments have an international network of certified partners who employ experienced specialists, including Photon Lines’s Dr Ruedi Bader, who looks after the UK and Ireland.