Laser Capture Services

Gnome is pleased to offer the research community laser capture services. Laser microdissection (LM) is a microscope-based technique that uses a laser to isolate specific groups of cells, individual cells, or cell organelles, from embedded, frozen or fresh tissue sections.

Gnome utilizes the Zeiss PALM Microbeam IV which is the only laser microdissection system that can be used reliably for individual experiments as well as highly automated workflows. Both routine systems and tailor-made configurations are available, meeting the most specialized needs.

There are two main types of laser microdissection:

  • Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM)

    In LCM biological material is placed on a glass slide, or equivalent surface, and a thermo-plastic membrane is placed in direct contact on top of the material.

    The laser beam source is positioned below the material and the beam is focused through a microscope ocular lens onto the biological material on the slide.

    When the laser beam strikes the material, it is blasted off of the glass surface and melts onto the thermo-plastic membrane.

    The thermo-plastic membrane piece containing the blasted material is then physically isolated and the material collected.

  • Laser Microdissection and Pressure Catapulting (LMPC)

    In LMPC the biological material is placed on a polyethylene napthalate (PEN) membrane covered glass slide.

    The laser beam source is positioned and focused as in LM. A tightly focused laser beam is used to cut the PEN membrane and the material. A defocused laser beam is then used to "pressure catapult" the cut membrane with cells into a sample collector.

    The major advantages of LMPC over LCM are the increased amount of tissue captured in a given time, preserved cellular integrity, and the biological material is obtained without direct user contact and contamination free. LMPC enables capture of biological material ranging from defined multi-cellular tissue elements to specific sections of cells and organs to cellular organelles.