Scientific Equipments

Scientific equipments

RESTORE has a large instrumental park made available to scientists and managed by CERT. Each of these instruments also benefits from the associated expertise of engineers and technicians in the laboratory.

by categories

In depth 3D imaging

One of the challenges in biological imaging is to visualize in depth and in three dimensions biological structures and living organisms. CERT provides the tools and expertise to perform this type of analysis. Amongst such tools,  the SPIM, the result of research by CERT and other Toulouse laboratories, remains a unique platform instrument to probe biological samples in 3D.

SPIM

A new microscope based on a light sheet excitation, the SPIM (Selective Plane Illumination Microscope),  allows rapid optical sectioning in 3D and in depth on living samples and offers multi-views acquisition opening new perspectives in biological observation. This unique equipment is now available to the entire scientific community.

Specifications

  • 5X, 10X, 20X objectives lenses
  • Laser 488, 532, 594nm
  • CCD camera
  • CO2 and temperature controlled
  • Q-Switch Laser 532nm

Applications

  • 3D imaging in depth
  • Live dynamic analysis
  • Photomanipulation

MacroSPIM

The MacroSPIM, a macroscope based on a light sheet excitation, makes it possible after optical clearing to visualize tissues and whole organs by rapid in depth 3D optical sectioning. This novel approach offers multi-view acquisition possibilities and opens up new perspectives in biological observation. This unique equipment, based on developments carried out in Barcelona (IRB), is now made available to the entire scientific community by CERT.

Specifications

  • 2X, 5X objective lenses
  • 1X to 8X zoom
  • Laser 405,488, 561, 642nm
  • CMOS camera

Applications

  • 3D imaging in depth
  • Tissue imaging

Spectral imaging

Biphoton

Specifications

  • AxioExaminer (straight stand) LSM 880 (Zeiss)

  • Maximum distance under the lens: 11 cm

  • Quasar spectral detection system with 2 lateral PMTs and 1 central GaAsP spectral detector composed of 32 high sensitivity detectors)

  • Laser 458, 488,514,561 and 633

  • Ti / Sa Chameleon Laser (Coherent)

Applications

  • Live imaging (explants, animal models)

  • Acquisition of up to 10 individual channels (8 GaAsP)

  • Simultaneous spectral acquisition from 391 to 749 nm

  • Free setting of the fluorescence emission window.

  • Confocal acquisition

  • SHG

Real-time imaging

Widefield live imaging microscope 2- AxioObserver Zeiss

Videomicroscopy allows long-term dynamic monitoring of “living” 2D samples.

 

Specifications

  • 5X, 10X, 20X, 40X, 63X objectives lenses
  • DAPI, GFP, Cy3 and Cy5 Filter sets
  • CCD camera
  • CO2 and temperature controlled
  • ApoTome.2 module

Applications

  • Live dynamic analysis

Other equipments

  • Leica CM1950 Cryostat  – Frozen thin sections – Faculty of dental surgery
  • Microtome HM340E – Paraffin thin sections  – Faculty of dental surgery
  • Vibroslice Campden 5100mz – Thick cuts in agarose – Incere
  • Vibroslice Campden MA752 – Thick sections in agarose – Faculty of dental surgery

Flow cytometry

Fortessa X20 - BD Biosciences

The Fortessa X20 is equipped with 5 lasers: 488nm blue, 405nm purple, 355nm UV, 640nm red, 561nm yellow-green, which can read 19 parameters. It is equipped with a 96-well plate changer. The platform is also equipped with DIVA, Flowlogic and Kaluza analysis software, which can be used on site under reservation conditions.

MACSQuant - Miltenyi

The MACSQuant is equipped with 3 lasers: 405nm, 488nm and 640nm, which can read 10 parameters. This cytometer is also equipped with a plate changer, a marking and automatic dilution module. It allows to standardize experiments.

Cell sorting

ARIA FUSION

ARIA Fusion - BD Biosciences

The sorter proposed, an ARIA Fusion (BD Biosciences), is housed under sterile environment and is  equipped with 4 lasers: 561nm yellow-green, 407nm violet, 633nm red, 488nm blue, able to read 18 parameters.
This sorter is also equipped with the following accessories:

  • 4 ways sorting
  • Sorting in tubes of 1.5ml, 2ml, 5ml, 15ml
  • Nozzle of 70µm, 85µm, 100µm
  • Refrigeration module at the entrance and at the exit of the sorting process.

Imaging Flow Cytometer

Image Stream X

Image Stream X Mark 2 - Merck Luminex

The platform has an imaging flow cytometer: Image Stream X Mark II (Merck-Luminex). This apparatus is equipped with 3 objectives (20x, 40x and 60x), 3 lasers (405nm, 488nm and 642nm) and a camera. It can read 6 parameters simultaneously.

The image files consisting of tens of thousands of cell images can be routinely analyzed using the IDEAS software. This Software can analyse up to 500 morphometric and photometric parameters for each cell image using patented algorithms. The software is present on the platform and can be used under reservation conditions.

Mécanobiologie-AFM

AFMJPK

NanoWizard® II de JPK

Coupled with a Zeiss inverted fluorescence microscope

Bioscope Catalyst de Bruker

Coupled with a Nikon inverted fluorescence microscope

  • Original AFM-Photonic couplings
  • Force spectroscopy in air and in liquid with tips functionalized using surface chemistry.
  • Contact mode topography, tapping and quantitative imaging in air and liquid

BioFab

3D Fabrication : ZORTRAX INKSPIRE

  • Printing Technology: UV LCD* – projecting a shape of a layer on the underside of the tank with liquid resin and curing the layer with a UV lamp
  • Layer Thickness: 25, 50, 100 microns
  • Pixel size: 50 microns (0.05 mm)
  • Build Volume: 132 x 74 x 175 mm [2.9 x 5.2 x 6.9 in]
  • Supported Formats: .cws, .zcodex, .sl1, .zip
  • Operating Temperature: 20 – 30˚ C 
  • Software Bundle: Z-SUITE 2®
  • Supported File Types: .stl, .obj, .dxf, .3mf, .zcodex

2D Lithography

Gesim soft lithography machine (Micro-Contact Printing – µCP)

Soft UV-NIL (Inking, Drying, Molecular deposition, UV curing)

Plasma oxygen microwave DIENER Pico & MEMMERT oven

Microscope droit avec champ sombre

Spin coater (LAURELL WS-650-SZ)

Biological culture

2 MSC (Microbiological safety cabinet) with carbon filter for solvents

2 Incubators and 1 reactor

Logiciels de traitement et d’analyse​

Software for biological data processing and analysis

Specifications

Applications

3  Imaris licences (Bitplane)3D & 4D modeling, 2D & 3D tracking
2  Amira licences (ThermoFisher)3D modeling, 3D & 4D image processing
1  Vision 4D licence (Arivis)3D & 4D modeling, pixel & object classification
Matlab licence server (Mathworks)Pixel & Object classification, workflow & automatic image processing, GUI implementation, database implementation
3 NIS elements licences(Nikon)3D & 4D modeling, 2D & 3D tracking, Volume analysis, High content analysis
Ilastik open-source softwarePixel & Object classification
Fiji open-source software2D, 3D & 4D image processing, Pixel & Object classification, 2D & 3D tracking, automatic image processing
Python open-source softwarePixel & Object classification, GUI implementation, database implementation
Graphpad Prism Licences Statistical analysis of biological data
3 Flowlogic licences Flow Cytometry analysis
5  Kaluza licencesFlow Cytometry analysis
1  INSPIRE licenceImaging Flow Cytometry analysis

High Content Screening analysis software

Specifications

  • 1 HCS Studio licence (ThermoFisher)
  • 2  Harmony licences (Operetta)

Applications

  • Real time acquisition and visualization of 2D, 3D et 4D images
  • Automated high content analysis (Apoptosis, Cell cycle, cell proliferation, Cell viability, Neurite, outgrowth, protein synthesis)
  • Visual and quantitative analysis of 2D, 3D and 4D cell models

Stations d’analyse

2 dedicated workstations Dell Precision T7910

Specifications

  • Intel Xeon CPU E5-2680 V4
  • NVIDIA Quadro K6000 12GB graphics cardApplications
  • 256GB of RAM
  • Windows 10 operating system (64-bit)

Applications

  • Modeling, image visualization
  • Image analysis
  • Image processing
  • GPU & CPU computing

Samples quantification and quality control

materiel_CERT_GT_nanodrop

NanoDrop 2000 ® (Thermofisher Scientific)

  • Quantification and purity control based on sample absorbance

  • UV-visible (190-840nm) measurements

  • Micro-volumes sampling (1-2µl)

Transcriptomic analysis

GeneAtlas system microarray – Affymetrix

FX96 Touch Real-Time PCR System- Biorad

Système LightCycler® 480  plateforme PCR – Biorad

Fluxomic

tableanesthésie

In vivo fluxomic module

Specifications

  • Gas anesthesia tables (TEM SEGA) for animal catheterization

  • Device for perfusion on vigil mice  (syringe pumps, tether, swivels)

  • Thermostatic chamber

Applications

  • In vivo isotope tracing (perfusion models, intraperitoneal injection, …)
  • Collection of biofluids, tissues, organs
oxygraphe

In vitro fluxomic module

Specifications

  • In vitro metabolism quenching system
  • Controlled oxygen atmosphere chamber (X-Vivo)

Applications

  • In vitro isotope tracing (2D and 3D cell models)
  • Collection of the endometabolome and exometabolome

CONTACT

Jacques Rouquette

Head of CERT

For all requests, CERT staff:

  • provides advice in the development of multi-color panels,
  • provides user training,
  • assists users in the analysis and interpretation of their results,
  • supports users in setting up research and development projects, in the form of collaboration.