24 Feb 2014
Modern confocal microscope worth 650 000 EUR
Opening of the Confocal Imaging Facility
The Ruđer Bošković Institute celebrates the establishment of the confocal imaging facility, the largest infrastructure platform of this kind in the Republic of Croatia. The grand opening ceremony will be held on 27th February 2014 in in the 3rd Wing Hall at the RBI, Bijenicka 54, starting at 9:00 a.m.
The RBI microscope centre has recently been equipped with a confocal microscope Leica SP8 X FLIM which represents the largest single investment in the bioimaging in Croatia. It is an instrument worth more than 650 000 EUR. Besides RBI scientists, this sophisticated instrument will be available to the wider scientific and academic community and industry.
The confocal laser scanning microscope is a light microscope used for obtaining high-resolution optical images with depth selectivity. It is used to observe and photograph the living and non-living microscopic specimens using fluorescence and reflected light. The confocal microscope is equipped with the latest generation of hybrid detectors with enhanced sensitivity and provides the possibility of continuous excitation in the visible spectral region and the possibility of determining the lifetime of fluorescence in the sample (FLIM ).
It will primarily be used for research in cell biology. Besides biologists and biomedicists it will be used by chemists and physicists, as well.
During the opening ceremony the participants and guest will be able to hear lectures by domestic and foreign experts such as Jan Pala, PhD, from the Academy of Sciences in Prague and Irmtraud Steinmetz, PhD, Application Manager for the Life Science Division, Leica Microsystems Mannheim, who will give an overview of the latest developments in the modern equipment for light microscopy, as well as provide examples of its applications in cell biology. Besides lectures, the participants will get an immediate insight into equipment during short demonstration of the instrument.
The instrument was acquired under FP7 REGPOT project InnoMol: Enhancement of the Innovation Potential in SEE through New Molecular Solutions in Research and Development.
InnoMol is the largest infrastructure project with the highest budget in natural sciences ever to be conducted in Croatia and the entire amount will be at the disposal of the IRB to set up the most innovative research infrastructure of personnel and equipment. 'Innovation Pipeline' of the InnoMol project will contribute to stronger positioning and better integration of RBI in the European Research Area.
Such capital investments in infrastructure and equipment will improve the quality and accessibility of research, equipment and expertise at the RBI to the wider Croatian academic community and industry, thus contribute to more successful integration of the RBI in the European Research Area ( ERA ) as the top scientific research centre.