Confocal Space Microscopy (COSMIC)

FACILITY OVERVIEW

The Confocal Space Microscope (Confocal Microscope) is a microscope, equipped with a confocal scanning unit, to provide fluorescence images of biological samples onboard the International Space Station. With the Confocal Microscope, information can be obtained on the fundamental nature of cellular and tissue structure and functions.

Confocal microscopy offers many advantages over conventional optical microscopy. These advantages include the ability to control depth of field, elimination or reduction of background information away from the focal plane that can lead to image degradation, and the capability to collect serial optical sections from thick specimens.

A major application of confocal microscopy involves imaging either fixed or living cells and tissues that have usually been labeled with one or more fluorescent probes.

The can also be used for other types of experiments, including physicochemical experiments to study colloid chemical properties.

FACILITY OVERVIEW

The Confocal Space Microscope (Confocal Microscope) also supports:

• Phase-contrast microscopy to produce high-contrast images of transparent specimens
• Fluorescent microscopy (wide-field and confocal) to study the properties of organic and inorganic substances.
• Time-lapse imaging to capture the dynamic observations
• Z-stack imaging to combine multiple images taken at different focus distances, to provide an image with a greater depth of field.
• 4-D live imaging on a heater (optional).