Confocal Microscopy with Jan Michels and ZEISS LSM 800
A marine biologist, zoologist and microscopist strives for art in science
“The main challenges for a microscopist who aims at creating beautiful and aesthetic micrographs are to get appropriate samples and to prepare them perfectly”, said Jan Michels, scientist at the Zoological Institute of Kiel University and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.*Michels, whose images have already received multiple awards in prestigious light microscopy competitions, is an enthusiastic long-term user of the confocal laser scanning microscope ZEISS LSM 700. He recently visited the ZEISS Microscopy Labs in Munich and our headquarters in Jena to test our newest confocal microscope, ZEISS LSM 800.
ZEISS LSM 800 in the Microscopy Labs MunichMichels works in the field of functional morphology and biomechanics where*he has specialized in investigating the morphology and material composition of arthropod (arthropods = insects, arachnids, myriapods and crustaceans) exoskeleton structures with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Among his study organisms are beetles, bed bugs, dragonflies and copepods. Michels uses the autofluorescences of different exoskeleton materials for his analyses. “I visualize differences in the autofluorescence composition that indicate differences in the material composition and thereby strongly contribute to understanding the functioning of the respective exoskeleton structures. The autofluorescences that I use are still not known in detail. I have planned to analyze their spectral properties by means of CLSM and to improve my method based on the results obtained. However, these autofluorescences exhibit in part relatively low intensities, and for this reason it will be essential to apply the most sensitive and efficient microscopes available”, Michels explained.
Dr. Jan Michels in the ZEISS Microscopy Labs MunichOur product managers and imaging specialists*introduced Michels to ZEISS LSM 800 with Airyscan and the new version of ZEN imaging software. “I’ve always*been*fascinated by ZEISS LSM 700 because of*its*sensitivity and good signal-to-noise ratio.”, said Michels. “Using the GaAsP detectors of LSM 800, I even*experienced a significant improvement in sensitivity when detecting signals with low intensities.” Jan Michels enjoyed the new ZEN software. He immediately felt ‘at home’ and appreciated the fast linear scanning with three detectors, the usability of the software including user-optimized features such as the mouse-controlled z-drive, and the efficient imaging process and quality. “It was a fantastic experience to visualize my samples with this new generation of confocal laser scanning microscopes.”
Beetle of the genus Circocerus, collected from leaf litter in the Peruvian lowland Amazon rainforest. Sample provided by Dr. Joseph Parker*and*imaged by Dr. Jan Michels with ZEISS LSM 800. More on our flickr channel!When asked why he prefers ZEISS, Michels answered: “It is the whole ‘package’ that is just convincing: I get excellent optical quality, extremely efficient detectors, impressive innovations such as the Airyscan detector, optimal results and, what is also very important, a perfect and very fast service. I need this service only seldom because the instruments are really robust and I am very familiar with the technology. However, if it is necessary to get an instrument service, a ZEISS colleague will always come immediately and fix the issue in next to no time. My *Account Managers regularly visit me, and I can call them at any time when I have questions regarding microscopes or accessories.”
We are looking forward to seeing more confocal micrographs created by Jan Michels that we will share with our followers in the future!
Interested in ZEISS LSM 800 with Airyscan? Visit our product page and book your*personal instrument demonstration in our Microscopy Labs worldwide!
Enjoy our flickr album with some of the best confocal ZEISS microscopy by*Jan Michels!
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