Light Microscopy Technology Platform
Light Microscopy Technology Platform (LiMiTec)
Welcome to LiMiTec. The LiMiTec represents a state-of-the-art imaging facility bundling light microscopes of the faculty of biology and medical faculty OWL, Bielefeld University.
The Light Microscopy Technology Platform (limitec) at the Faculty of Biology and the Medical Faculty at Bielefeld University is a central service and advisory facility for modern light microscopy. It supports researchers in planning, conducting, and evaluating microscopic experiments—from sample preparation and the selection of appropriate microscopy techniques to image analysis and data interpretation.
The services offered include access to high-performance microscope systems (including confocal and fluorescence microscopy), technical training, as well as individual consultation and workshops. In addition, limitec supports methodological developments and promotes professional exchange regarding innovative imaging techniques. The goal is to enable high-quality, reproducible, and scientifically sound microscopy data and to provide long-term support for research at the faculties.
For technical support please contact Dr. Thorsten Seidel or Dr. Barbara Biermann.
Dr. Barbara Biermann
Sektionsleitung Medizin Licht- & Mikroskopie Technologie Plattform (LiMiTec)
- Phone
- +49 521 106-86812
- Office
- R.1 D2-112
News
As part of a collaboration between Yokogawa and the OWL Medical Faculty, a loaned and demonstration unit for single-cell analysis was installed at the end of May 2026 in the Medicine Section of the Light & Microscopy Technology Platform (LiMiTec-SekMed) in R.1 D.2 for a period of at least three months. This Single Cellome™ System 2000 automatically extracts cells or specific cellular components (organelles) from cell cultures, which are simultaneously imaged using a confocal microscope to obtain positional and morphological information. The isolated components can then be analyzed using downstream methods, e.g., in the Core Facility Omics currently under construction at the site.
Webpage of Yogogawa for more information:
https://www.yokogawa.com/eu/solutions/products-and-services/life-science/single-cellome/ss2000/#Overview
New Instruments in R1-D2 are available: Nikon/Crest Spinning Disc confocal microscope and multimode plate reader with imaging function: Tecan Spark-Cyto
Information on central core facilities of Bielefeld University can be found here.
Recent Publications
Strasdeit T, Amin E, Obst S, Biermann B, Newton TP, Kösters, SC, Schouwink M, Fedotov S, Shaukat J, Bhattacharya S, Aslam M, Anstötz M, Okka FN, Sevillano Quispe OG, Bouvain P, Vedyashkin J, Sobolevsky AI, Traynelis SF, von Engelhardt J, Erlenhardt N, Hollmann M, Klöcker N (2026) Claudin 24 - A novel enhancer of AMPA receptor fidelity. Sci. Adv. 12, eaeb0196. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb0196.
von der Heyde B, Srinivasan A, Birwa SK, von der Heyde EL, Höhn SSMH, Goldstein RE, Hallmann A (2025) Spatiotemporal distribution of the glycoprotein pherophorin II reveals stochastic geometry of the growing ECM of Volvox carteri. PNAS. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2425759122
Kusch N, Storm J, Macioszek A, Knabbe C, Kaltschmidt B, Kaltschmidt C (2025) Donor Variability and Seeding Density Shape NK-Cell Proliferation and Surface Receptor Expression: Insights from an Integrated Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis. Cells 14(16): 1252
Seidel T, Artmann P, Gkekas I, Illies F, Baack, AL, Viefhues M (2024) Microfluidic Single-Cell Study on Arabidopsis thaliana Protoplast Fusion—New Insights on Timescales and Reversibilities. Plants 13(2): 295
Vogelsang L, Eirich J, Finkemeier I, Dietz KJ (2024) Specificity and dynamics of H2O2 detoxification by the cytosolic redox regulatory network as revealed by in vitro reconstitution. Redox Biol. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103141
- Guidelines
Download of Nutzungsordnung-LiMiTec.pdf
General Instructions: Before starting to use any microscope of the LiMiTec, an introduction to the microscope is mandatory and safety instructions according to GenTSV (safety levels S1 and/or S2) and TROS/OStrV (LSMs and Lightsheet Microscope) are required. Keep the labs clean and pay attention to the waste separation.
For booking the confocal microscopes, request a login once you have been introduced to the microscope. The booking platform is available at https://limitec.biologie.uni-bielefeld.de/account/login/. Booking is possible for up to three weeks in advance. Do not exceed four hours for a single slot and three slots a week Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 18:00, long term experiments should be performed at the weekend or overnight. Avoid gaps between slots. Delete your booking, once it turns out that you are not going to use it. If that happens at short notice, inform other users who booked the microscope that day by email. Keep yourself updated about the users who booked the microscope before and after your slot to ensure proper handover of the system.
Before you start, contact the one who booked it before you to avoid gaps and unnecessary switching off of HBO/HXP-lamps and argon-ion lasers, if they are still needed. Check the equipment and the logbook for obvious damages and reported problems. Report problems in the logbook and also inform the staff. Before you leave, clean all objective lenses you have used. Keep the lab clean and contact the following user. If you are the last user, ensure that the system is properly shut down. If you are the second last user, check if the last user that day shows up.
Copy your data to the servers of the faculty and check the files. Delete the local files the next time you are using the microscope. There is no backup of local files. Data of people who are no longer affiliated with Bielefeld University will be deleted. The same applies for the image processing PCs.
- Manuals
- Booking
Login for the booking process:
https://limitec.biologie.uni-bielefeld.de/account/login/
Please select an instrument from the list.
If you do not have an account yet or you do not have authorization please contact Mr. Thorsten Seidel (see also 'Contact')
Login für die Buchung:
https://limitec.biologie.uni-bielefeld.de/account/login/
Bitte wählen Sie ein Gerät aus der Liste.
Falls Sie noch keinen Account haben oder Ihnen die Berechtigung fehlt, wenden Sie sich bitte an Herrn Thorsten Seidel (siehe auch 'Contact')