Dear Colleagues,
The Central Microscopy Research Facility, in collaboration with Leica Microsystems, invites you to an upcoming SP8 STED super‑resolution microscopy workshop, preceded by a short introductory webinar focused on STED fundamentals and sample preparation.
STED (STimulated Emission Depletion) microscopy enables purely optical super‑resolution imaging beyond the diffraction limit, delivering structural detail below 50 nm. The Leica TCS SP8 STED system at U Iowa features two STED laser lines (660 nm and 775 nm), supporting multicolor super‑resolution across a broad range of fluorophores. The platform is optimized for fixed sample though live‑cell imaging can be done at RT, with gated STED detection for improved resolution and reduced laser power.
Key capabilities to be highlighted:
- Tunable spectral super‑resolution
- Multichannel super‑resolution using 660 nm and 775 nm STED lasers
- Gated STED detection for higher resolution and lower laser power
- Seamless integration of confocal and STED imaging on a single platform
- Photon counting. Compared to conventional analog detection, which measures averaged signal intensity, photon counting detects individual photon events. This enables more reliable quantification and can support imaging at lower excitation power.
Format:
- Introductory webinar at 1pm on June 4th: STED principles, fluorophore compatibility, and practical guidance on sample preparation and experimental design. Here is a Teams link to the webinar.
- On‑site, hands‑on workshop June 17th and 18th. Live demonstrations and guided imaging sessions on the SP8 STED, with opportunities to discuss and image user samples
For questions, and to schedule a hands-on demo, contact Harold and Ken: