Laser scanning microscope software

Bio-Rad Microscopy Division has released an option for users of its LaserSharp2000 Version 4 software. This advancement allows users to perform Multiphase Time Course experiments with Laser Scanning Microscopes. The option will bring advantages in efficiency and quality of results to applications in the areas of cell biology, neurobiology, pharmacology, cell-signalling, etc.

The software affords users complete control over experiments. Specific collection parameters can be set up for multiple phases and run through in order. The software also allows users to pause the experiment and skip to the next phase at any time. Regions of interest can be drawn on the image and the intensities plotted in real-time.

FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photo-bleaching) studies are made easy by combining LaserSharp 2000 multi-phase time course with the patterned Illumination functionality of the Radiance2100 laser scanning microscope system. FRAP experiments can be conducted by bleaching a region for one phase and measuring fluorescence recovery in the next phase.

Clear presentation of results is simple with the LaserSharp2000 plotting facility that allows the user to plot mean, sum and ratios of the intensities for all of the acquisition channels. The Multiphase Time Course option also allows users to plot new graphs on previously collected data by moving the regions used during live plotting and/or by selecting new regions to plot. Graphs can be reopened and analysed within LaserSharp2000, and are also saved in a format compatible with database packages.