2026 103 EU PicoQuant

Upgrade of the existing PicoQuant MicroTime 200 to a Luminosa Single Photon Counting Confocal Microscope • Inverted research microscope based on the existing Olympus IX73 body, adapted for compatibility with the Luminosa system • Software-controlled switching between observation modes: confocal, transmission and epifluorescence • FLIMbee Galvo scanner for XY imaging with highly flexible scan speeds, excellent linearity and reproducibility • Z-piezo objective scanner for 3D imaging with 100 µm travel range • Motorized sample stage with software control, travel range 120 mm x 72 mm, compatible with 96-well plates and tiling experiments • Laser Combining Unit (LCU) with pulsed picosecond lasers at 485 nm, 560 nm and 640 nm, suitable for Pulsed Interleaved Excitation (PIE) • Four-color PIE filter set for simultaneous detection at 405 + 485 + 560 + 640 nm excitation with detection bandpasses 445/30, 520/35, 595/40 and 690/70 nm • Main Optical Unit (MOU) with complete detection beam path, electronics, interlock, auto-alignment beam path and liquid cooling, hosting up to 4 detectors • TCSPC electronics with 5 ps time resolution, 65536 channels and 32-bit depth, suitable for TTTR mode and custom programming • 2x Excelitas Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) detectors • Polarizing beam splitter cube for anisotropy measurements • Variable PSF feature for fine-tuning of the observation volume size for FCS and smFRET experiments • LED-based epifluorescence illumination with software control and filter cubes for DAPI, eGFP and mCherry/TexasRed • DIC illumination mode with motorized DIC prism, enabling software-controlled pixel-precise FLIM-DIC overlays • Luminosa software with full Python interface for automated and feedback-based experiment control • 4 days on-site installation and training by PicoQuant engineers Replacement part or new item: The procurement of the PicoQuant Luminosa represents an upgrade of the existing PicoQuant MicroTime 200 (MT200, S/N 1041189), which has been in operation for approximately 6 years. The upgrade approach was chosen over a complete new purchase for the following reasons: a significant number of existing components from the MT200 are being reused in the Luminosa system, including the Olympus IX73 microscope body, the high NA 60x water immersion objective, two SPAD detectors, the laser combining unit, existing laser lines at 485 nm and 640 nm, and the TCSPC electronics. This reuse of existing hardware substantially reduces the overall cost of the upgrade compared to a completely new system. The total net cost of the upgrade is 348,853.51 euros, compared to an estimated cost of approximately 550,000 euros for a completely new equivalent system, representing a saving of approximately 200,000 euros. Make or buy: Building an equivalent system in-house is not a viable option. The PicoQuant Luminosa is a highly specialized single-molecule confocal microscope integrating TCSPC electronics, picosecond pulsed lasers, galvanometer scanning, FLIM, FCS, and single-molecule detection capabilities into a single validated and supported platform. Replicating this level of integration, performance, and software ecosystem in-house would require specialized engineering expertise, significant time investment, and would likely exceed the cost of the commercial upgrade, while also lacking manufacturer support, warranties, and validated performance specifications. Purchase or lease: The system is being procured as a direct purchase rather than a lease. Given the long-term research requirements of the department and the nature of the upgrade building upon existing institutional infrastructure, a direct purchase represents the most economical and practical option. The system is expected to serve as a core research instrument for the department for many years, making a purchase significantly more cost-effective than a leasing arrangement over the same period. Additionally, since the Luminosa is an upgrade of existing departmental equipment, leasing would not be appropriate as it would not account for the reuse of existing components. The research in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics focuses on the emergence of structure and function in synthetic cells from simple biomolecular building blocks. The experimental focus areas include membrane dynamics, phase separation, protein machinery, and the spatiotemporal organization of cytoskeletal proteins and condensate-forming macromolecules, primarily studied in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) as a model system for synthetic cells. Fluorescence-based imaging and spectroscopy are the central experimental methods of the department. The department currently operates a PicoQuant MicroTime 200 (MT200) as the primary instrument for Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) and Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC). However, the MT200 is a purely point-confocal microscope without laser scanning capability, which significantly limits its applicability: imaging is not possible with the MT200 as no laser scanner is present. Furthermore, the department currently lacks any FLIM-capable imaging system, which represents a significant methodological gap, as fluorescence lifetime-based measurements are becoming increasingly central to the scientific questions pursued in the department. The department operates two Zeiss LSM780 confocal laser scanning microscopes as primary imaging platforms. However, these systems are no longer supported by Zeiss, spare parts are no longer available, and any failure of these instruments cannot be remedied by the manufacturer. The long-term availability of these systems is therefore not guaranteed. There is consequently an urgent need to establish a reliable alternative for confocal imaging that simultaneously expands and modernizes the existing spectroscopic capacities of the department.