title: Multimodal and non-linear optical microscopy applications in reproductive biology.
abstract: A plethora of optical techniques is currently available to obtain non-destructive, contactless, real time information with subcellular spatial resolution to observe cell processes. Each technique has its own unique features for imaging and for obtaining certain biological information. However none of the available techniques can be of universal use. For a comprehensive investigation of biological specimens and events, one needs to use a combination of bioimaging methods, often at the same time. Some modern confocal/multiphoton microscopes provide simultaneous fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime imaging, and four-dimensional imaging. Some of them can also easily be adapted for harmonic generation imaging, and to permit cell manipulation technique. In this work we present a multimodal optical workstation that extends a commercially available confocal microscope to include nonlinear/multiphoton microscopy and optical manipulation/stimulation tools. The nonlinear microscopy capabilities were added to the commercial confocal microscope by exploiting all the flexibility offered by the manufacturer. The various capabilities of this workstation as applied directly to reproductive biology are discussed. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:567-582, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Biophotonic Group. Optics and Photonics Research Center (CEPOF), Institute of Physics "Gleb Wataghin," State University of Campinas, Brazil.|Biofotónica y Procesamiento de Información Biológica (ByPIB), CITER - Centro de Investigación y Transferencia de Entre Ríos, CONICET-UNER, Argentina.|Microscopy Laboratory Applied to Molecular and Cellular Studies, School of Bioengineering, National University of Entre Ríos, Argentina.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adur
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Biophotonic Group. Optics and Photonics Research Center (CEPOF), Institute of Physics "Gleb Wataghin," State University of Campinas, Brazil.|INFABiC - National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: V B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Pelegati
authors.affiliation: INFABiC - National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Baratti
authors.affiliation: Biophotonic Group. Optics and Photonics Research Center (CEPOF), Institute of Physics "Gleb Wataghin," State University of Campinas, Brazil.|INFABiC - National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology, Campinas, Brazil.|Department of Physics of Federal University of Ceara (UFC), Brazil.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cesar
authors.affiliation: Biofotónica y Procesamiento de Información Biológica (ByPIB), CITER - Centro de Investigación y Transferencia de Entre Ríos, CONICET-UNER, Argentina.|Microscopy Laboratory Applied to Molecular and Cellular Studies, School of Bioengineering, National University of Entre Ríos, Argentina.
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Casco
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas, Brazil.|INFABiC - National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton
keywords: confocal platform; multifoton microscopy; nonlinear microscopy; optical workstation