Short Description
Short Description of Research Infrastructure – ZEISS Elyra 7 Super-Resolution Microscopy System
The ZEISS Elyra 7 is an advanced fluorescence microscopy platform for structural and functional analysis of biological specimens beyond the classical diffraction limit of light microscopy. The system integrates Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) and Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (SMLM), enabling lateral resolutions of approximately 100 nm (SIM) and 20–30 nm (SMLM), depending on sample preparation and labeling strategy.
The instrument supports imaging of both fixed and live cells. SIM enables fast multicolor and three-dimensional imaging with comparatively low phototoxicity, making it suitable for the investigation of dynamic processes in living systems. SMLM allows high-resolution mapping of individual fluorophores and quantitative analysis of molecular distributions, nanoscale clustering, and protein organization.
The platform includes stable laser excitation, high-sensitivity sCMOS detection, environmental and temperature control for live-cell imaging, and dedicated reconstruction software for image processing, drift correction, and quantitative analysis. Multichannel and three-dimensional imaging workflows are supported.
The infrastructure is used in cell biology, biophysics, and molecular biomedical research, particularly for studying subcellular organization, cytoskeletal architecture, protein interactions, and mechanobiological processes.
Contact Person
Verena Ruprecht
Research Services
Research Services
Currently, no standardized research services are offered.
For inquiries regarding potential use of the research infrastructure within collaborative projects or external cooperation, interested parties are kindly requested to contact:
Prof. Verena Ruprecht
Institute of Zoology, University of Innsbruck
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
Methods & Expertise – ZEISS Elyra 7 Super-Resolution Microscopy System
The ZEISS Elyra 7 is used for high-resolution imaging employing Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) and Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (SMLM) to investigate subcellular organization and molecular architecture. The system supports both live-cell imaging and high-resolution analysis of fixed specimens.
Methodological expertise includes the development and optimization of multicolor SIM, 3D-SIM, and quantitative SMLM workflows. This encompasses reconstruction validation, drift correction, artifact control, and standardized quality assessment of super-resolution datasets. Particular experience exists in nanoscale analysis of cytoskeletal structures, membrane organization, subcellular compartments, and spatial protein distributions, including quantitative cluster analysis and spatial statistics at the single-molecule level.
The supervisors of the infrastructure have extensive experience in quantitative image analysis, statistical evaluation, and biophysical interpretation of high-resolution microscopy data. This includes the implementation of customized analysis pipelines (e.g., cluster analysis, spatial distribution analysis, correlation with mechanical or functional parameters) and the integration of imaging data into broader experimental frameworks in cell biology, mechanobiology, and molecular biophysics.
The research infrastructure is regularly applied in interdisciplinary projects and is available for methodological consultation, joint project development, and collaborative research with academic institutions and external partners.
Currently, no publicly available standardized terms of use are defined for this research infrastructure.
Access is granted within the framework of scientific collaborations or based on individual agreements. Conditions of use, organizational requirements, and any applicable cost arrangements are determined on a project-specific basis.
Interested parties are kindly requested to contact:
Prof. Verena Ruprecht
Institute of Zoology, University of Innsbruck