TIMEBOW
Every fluorescence signal contains lifetime information that travels with the photons from the sample to the detector.TIMEBOW lifetime imaging elicits this information, allowing you to make the best use of it in multiple ways. Expand your imaging options, increase the resolution of your image with gentle STED, remove background signal… And in combination with our highly sensitive APDs, the groundbreaking MATRIX detector, and TRUESHARP deconvolution, you get the best out of every aspect of the signal! WithTIMEBOW, your research shines in perfect color.
gives time a color
TIMEBOW at a glance >
MINFLUX Module
Single-digit nanometer resolution with the MINFLUX module for our MIRAVA POLYSCOPE
MATRIX Detector
Many eyes see more than one. The MATRIX detector drastically improves signal-to-background ratio, resolution, and dynamic range.
TIMEBOW Imaging
TIMEBOW lifetime imaging for stunning results at confocal and STED super-resolution.
FLEXPOSURE Illumination
Brings down the light dose on your sample and lables dramatically. Key ingredient for volume and live-cell superresolution.
RAYSHAPE Mirror
Dynamic aberration correction with a deformable mirror over about 200 µm z-range. 140 digital actuators adjust the mirror surface within milliseconds.
Custom Solutions
We offer solutions for even the most challenging applications. Everything that can be done, we will do.
Description
Confocal image of autofluorescence in a cross-section of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. TIMEBOW lifetime imaging detects differences in fluorescence lifetime, which depend on the type of autofluorescent molecule and its nano-environment, and visualizes them in distinct colors.
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Description
Confocal TIMEBOW acquisition of an Oleander leaf tip showing a range of autofluorescence lifetimes originating from different tissue components.
Description
Autofluorescence in a plant stem cross section of Convallaria recorded with FACILITY. Image quality is improved by removing the background through MATRIX detection. This is combined with TIMEBOW lifetime imaging to show the differences in fluorescence lifetime due to the type of autofluorescent molecule and their nano-environment.
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Description
Autofluorescence in a plant stem cross section of Convallaria recorded with FACILITY. A large area, 10 by 10 tiles, each 125 µm by 125 µm, was imaged and stitched with image tiling in Fiji for ImageJ. This is combined with TIMEBOW lifetime imaging to show the differences in fluorescence lifetime due to the type of autofluorescent molecule and their nano-environment.
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Description
Confocal vs MATRIX + TIMEBOW STED
Actin in microvilli of CaCo2 cells recorded with FACILITY. Fixed cells were stained with abberior STAR RED phalloidin. Imaging of the intense-background sample is optimized by MATRIX detection by directly subtracting unfocussed data. To boost resolution TIMEBOW is used, keeping STED laser power low. Lifetime information enables the selective exclusion of STED-affected emission at the rim of each measurement.
We thank Prof. Dorothee Günzel and Jörg Piontek (Charité, Berlin, DE) for providing this sample.
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Description
TIMEBOW STED vs MATRIX + TIMEBOW STED
Actin in microvilli of CaCo2 cells recorded with FACILITY. Fixed cells were stained with abberior STAR RED phalloidin. Imaging of the intense-background sample is optimized by MATRIX detection by directly subtracting unfocussed data. To boost resolution TIMEBOW is used, keeping STED laser power low. Lifetime information enables the selective exclusion of STED-affected emission at the rim of each measurement.
We thank Prof. Dorothee Günzel and Jörg Piontek (Charité, Berlin, DE) for providing this sample.
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Description
Four-color staining of fixed mammalian cells recorded with FACILITY showing nuclear pores (NUP98, STAR RED), Golgi membrane (GM130, STAR 635), Golgi medial rims (Giantin, STAR ORANGE) and actin (STAR 580 phalloidin). Shown left, just using spectral information, two red dyes (magenta) cannot be separated, because of their similar excitation properties. The same goes for STAR ORANGE and STAR 580 (grey).
With the lifetime information collected by TIMEBOW, these dyes can be distinguished, turning an image with two recording channels into a four-color image. To achieve superresolution only one STED laser at 775 nm was used.
All utilized dyes are manufactured by abberior.
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Description
Live-cell sample of an Arabidopsis root tip suspended in water recorded with FACILITY. A subset of cells expresses a YFP construct. Lifetime imaging with TIMEBOW shows shifts in YFP fluorescence lifetime caused by the proteins nano-environment.
We thank Dr. Fábián Attila and Soós Vilmos (ATK, Brunszvik, HU) for providing this sample. Contact: soos.vilmos@atk.hu.
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Description
TIMEBOW confocal and TIMEBOW STED image of mammalian cells labeled with antibodies against lamin, ATTO 647N and dsDNA, abberior STAR 635P.
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Description
TIMEBOW image of mammalian cells labeled with antibodies against Tom20, ATTO 647N and NUP153, abberior STAR 635P. Note that nuclear pore (NUP) complex subunits appear to be localized in the cytoplasm, which is due to the NUP import pathway into the nuclear membrane.
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TIMEBOW lifetime imaging
every signal gets a lifetime tag
Independent of the resolution, every signal provides information. Conventional fluorescence microscopy does not reveal all the information traveling with the photons from sample to detector.
After all, it’s not only about where the signal comes from and when. It’s also about how long the signal lasts. Welcome to TIMEBOW lifetime imaging: that is FLIM from abberior.
TIMEBOW extracts previously unavailable information from photons and visualizes the temporal dynamics of fluorescence decay in an interactive phasor plot, uncovering distinct lifetime populations. From here, it’s just another step to a colorful lifetime image that reveals previously hidden structural details.
TIMEBOW lifetime imaging is available both on MIRAVA POLYSCOPE and on STEDYCON 2. The direct integration into our LiGHTBOX and STEDYCON smart control software allows you to work with the data seamlessly.
Autofluorescence in a Convallaria plant stem cross-section. TIMEBOW reveals differences in fluorescence lifetime which depend on the type of autofluorescent molecule and its nano-environment.
The phasor plot assigns the image pixels to distinct populations according to their fluorescence lifetime. This unmixing into different lifetime channels (a, b, and c in the figure) converts a single-color intensity image into a multicolor TIMEBOW image.
TIMEBOW lifetime imaging and LiGHTBOX software
Picture 1
Lifetime separated into three species in a plant stem cross section of Convallaria.
Picture 2
Image quality is improved by removing the background with MATRIX detection. TIMEBOW gives you the interactive phasor plot to work with.
Picture 3
By simply drawing circular filters in the phasor plot, different species can be defined. Starting with the longest lifetimes …
Picture 4
… and then defining more species by adding more circles …
Picture 5
… until everything is separated.
Picture 6
Finally, these three species are combined, showing a clearly distinct distribution in the sample.
Multicolor STED with ease
wavelength and lifetime separation
For multicolor imaging, TIMEBOW has another ace up its sleeve. As the fluorescence lifetime depends on the type of fluorophore, TIMEBOW can clearly separate fluorophores emitting in the same spectral channel. It thus greatly expands your imaging options by giving you more channels and more flexibility than ever before.
Moreover, TIMEBOW can be used to sense subtle changes in the dye’s lifetime induced by varying nano-environments.
Below: 5-color STED image generated with TIMEBOW from 4 color channels. Signals from abberior STAR ORANGE and abberior LIVE 590 were recorded in the same channel and separated according to their fluorescence lifetime.
TIMEBOW on STEDYCON 2
performance in a shoebox
Lifetime imaging on STEDYCON 2 is powered by PicoQuant’s established MultiHarp 150 hardware. Fully integrated into the STEDYCON smart control software, command is seamless and intuitive with no need for external tools or expertise.
Below: The interactive phasor plot assigns the image pixels to distinct populations according to their fluorescence lifetime. These populations can be unmixed into different lifetime channels.
Alternatively, you may export the lifetime data and work with it in third-party software like PicoQuant SymphoTime.
High resolution, low light dose
protect your sample with gentle TIMEBOW STED
With STED, fluorescence lifetime even encodes spatial information. As the laser power of the STED beam initially increases with the distance from its center, fluorophores away from the center are more strongly de-excited and hence display shorter lifetimes. By detecting these lifetime differences, TIMEBOW boosts STED resolution even further: gentle TIMEBOW STED gives you more resolution with less STED power while protecting your sample.
TIMEBOW + MATRIX
a perfect match only from abberior
When adding TIMEBOW on top of the MATRIX detector, all the information that is contained in the fluorescence signal is retrieved. Every one of the 23 elements of the MATRIX detector simultaneously records information about both the origin of photons relative to the focal plane and about their lifetime. This way, the unbeatable combination of TIMEBOW and MATRIX is more than the sum of its parts. It brings you much higher signal-to-background-ratio, better resolution, and an impressive dynamic range.
A confocal
B STED
C TIMEBOW STED
D TIMEBOW + MATRIX STED
Sample courtesy of Dorothee Günzel, Jörg Piontek, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Boosting image quality and information with STED, TIMEBOW, and MATRIX: actin in gut microvilli of fixed CaCo2 cells stained with abberior STAR RED phalloidin.
STED (B) visibly increases resolution compared with confocal (A).
Resolution is further enhanced by TIMEBOW (C), while keeping STED laser power low. Lifetime
information facilitates the selective exclusion of low-resolution fluorescence.
The signal-to-background ratio is further improved by removing out-of-focus signal using the MATRIX detector (D).
Result: a detailed and crystal-clear image.
- FLIM, fully integrated
- Turn temporal dynamics into color-coded lifetime images
- Super-resolved four-color images with only one STED laser
- gentle TIMEBOW STED: high resolution, low light dose
- On MIRAVA POLYSCOPE, together with MATRIX: higher signal-to-background ratio, better resolution and impressive dynamic range – only available from abberior
TIMEBOW lifetime imaging for stunning results with confocal and STED superresolution
MATRIX Detector
Many eyes see more than one. The MATRIX detector drastically improves signal-to-background ratio, resolution, and dynamic range.
FLEXPOSURE Illumination
Brings down the light dose on your sample and lables dramatically. Key ingredient for volume and live-cell superresolution.
MIRAVA POLYSCOPE
abberior’s MIRAVA is the first true POLYSCOPE. It unites four microscopy technologies to cover an unprecedented resolution spectrum, extending over several orders of magnitude from diffraction-limited imaging all the way…
STEDYCON
Just upgrade your existing widefield system to a confocal, STED and lifetime microscope with a resolution down to 30 nm. Enjoy fine imaging at the push of a button!
LiGHTBOX
Quickly and intuitively obtain top-notch STED images with abberior’s LiGHTBOX software. Enjoy ease of use in every aspect – no ifs, ands, or buts!
STEDYCON smart control
With abberior’s browser-based software STEDYCON smart control, the perfect STED image is literally only three clicks away. Shoebox design meets browser-based software, yeehaw!