Veeco and Leica Microsystems in life science product collaboration

Veeco Instruments, a US provider of instrumentation to the nanoscience community, and Leica Microsystems, a leading designer and manufacturer of optical microscopy imaging systems, have finalised a product collaboration to drive research in biological and nanomedicine communities.

The initial phase of the collaboration focuses on the integration of Veeco's BioScope II Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) with Leica's DMI series of inverted microscopes. The alliance will yield high-resolution images for cell biology.

The innovative, high-performance BioScope II AFM has been engineered specifically to facilitate advanced bioscience. Its design enables novel in-situ techniques for measuring biological samples in three dimensions, and, when integrated with Leica's DMI series of inverted optical or, at a later step, confocal microscopes, will give the live cell researcher an intelligent and coded instrument.

The new integrated AFM optical microscope is appropriate for a wide-array of cutting-edge bioscience applications, such as spatial identification of protein molecules and cellular structures, investigations of cell response to mechanical stimulation and nano-manipulation, and in-situ pharmacological studies of live cells. By being able to mechanically probe and manipulate cellular samples without complicated preparation, biologists can have a unique view into cell functionality and are able to conduct experiments which were impossible with traditional microscopy techniques.

'Veeco's work with Leica Microsystems provides a powerful opportunity to move the bioscience community forward,' said Francis Steenbeke, Veeco's vice president and life science business development manager. 'Now researchers from all specialties can integrate AFM technology with optical fluorescence and confocal microscopes. This first step, which involves the integration of our instruments, will greatly improve the future of research in the bioscience community.'