New Andor instrument aims to improve sub-cellular surgery, and molecular uncaging

Feb. 16, 2009

FEBRUARY 15, 2009--Andor Technology (Belfast, Northern Ireland) says its new pulsed laser instrument was designed to improve subcellular surgery and molecular uncaging applications. It is an addition to the Andor Revolution laser-spinning disk confocal system, which enables simultaneous imaging and ablation or uncaging. "Our new instrument will help biologists achieve more precise micro-surgery and optical activation with live cells," the company says.

FEBRUARY 15, 2009--Andor Technology (Belfast, Northern Ireland) says its new pulsed laser instrument was designed to improve subcellular surgery and molecular uncaging applications. It is a new addition to the Andor Revolution laser-spinning disk confocal system, which enables simultaneous imaging and ablation or uncaging.

The Andor ALC-UVP-350i uses a 350 nm laser source with pulse energy up to 60 μJ and repetition rate from 1Hz to 5 kHz. With computer control, pulse energy can be varied over more than four decades. It delivers UV pulses via optical fiber for safe and convenient coupling to optical microscopes via dichroic coupler. It promises UV spot size down to 2.5 μm and high aperture objectives for precision targeting.

Dr. Mark Browne, market development manager within Andor said "Our new instrument will help biologists achieve more precise micro-surgery and optical activation with live cells."

Recently, Andor released its ALC-500 Solid State Laser Combiner, an upgrade for its Revolution systems.

In addition, the company partnered with BaySpec Inc. (Fremont, CA) to develop long-wavelength excitation Raman spectroscopic instrumentation that promises up to three times greater collection efficiency than standard Czerny-Turner spectrographs. The resulting Nunavut NIR 1064nm Long-wavelength Dispersive Spectrograph, promises flourescent-free spectral measurements. BaySpec will demonstrate the unit at Pittcon 2009 (March 8-13, Chicago).

Further, researchers in Paris, France who proved that EcoRV enzymes can jump and slide along strands of DNA, credited Andor's iXon860 back-illuminated EMCCD camera as being essential to the discovery. Dr. Pierre Desbiolles, who led the research, said, "To make this breakthrough, we needed a detection system with an ultra high level of sensitivity. We chose to base it on an Andor Technology because it combined the ability to detect single photons with a frame rate that allowed us to follow the rapidly changing events associated with DNA proof reading and repair."

More information:
Andor Technology

Posted by Barbara G. Goode, [email protected], for BioOptics World