ZMBH Imaging Facility ZMBH Imaging Facility

The ZMBH Imaging Facility is a core facility for advanced light microscopy and digital image analysis at the Center for Molecular Biology at Heidelberg University (ZMBH). Users have access to a diverse range of light microscopes and workstations that enable both the acquisition and analysis of microscopic data across widefield, confocal, and superresolution modalities. The facility operates as a service platform, offering highly interactive, communicative, and goal-oriented support for the planning, execution, and evaluation of demanding microscopy tasks. In addition, dedicated courses (also for individual research groups) and workshops are offered in the fields of light microscopy, software programming, and ethically sound image processing and analysis.

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Acces to the ZMBH Imaging Facility

All access to our services and equipmet starts, firstly, by getting in contact with us. Upon successful introductory training, our users are permitted to work independently on our equipment.

Biosafety

The ZMBH Imaging Facility is classified as biosafety level 1 (S1) work area. Only samples not exceeding biosafety level 1 (S1) requirements are permitted in the facility.

Services & Equipment

All light microscopy standard applications, like volumetric multi-channel fluorescence imaging of fixed or live samples, can be performed at the ZMBH Imaging Facility. Specialized long-term microscopes enable live-cell imaging under optimal culture conditions for periods spanning up to several weeks. In addition, users have access to numerous biophysical techniques, including F(C)CS and RICS, as well as photobleaching and photoactivation methods (FRAP, FLIM, PA-FPs) and their associated analysis workflows.A dedicated focus is on 2D/3D STED superresolution microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), along with their synergistic combination in lifetime-STED (tauSTED) microscopy. The facility is equipped with an adequate microscope for this purpose, as well as powerful deconvolution tools available at dedicated workstations.

Further Information on our Equipment

Further application tools

Team

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	Dr. Holger Lorenz Head of Facility h.lorenz@zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de and imagingfacility@zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de Phone: +49 6221 54 6872 Room 126 ZMBH INF 329 69120 Heidelberg
	Mr. Christian Hoerth Technician c.hoerth@zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de Phone: +49 6221 54 6716 Room 162 ZMBH INF 345 69120 Heidelberg

Selected publications

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Gao Q, Hofer FW, Filbeck S, Vermeulen BJA, Würtz M, Neuner A, Kaplan C, Zezlina M, Sala C, Shin H, Gruss OJ, Schiebel E, Pfeffer S. Structural mechanisms for centrosomal recruitment and organization of the microtubule nucleator γ-TuRC. Nat Commun. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-57729-2 (2025)
Benfatto S, Serçin Ö, Dejure FR, Abdollahi A, Zenke FT, Mardin BR. Uncovering cancer vulnerabilities by machine learning prediction of synthetic lethality. Mol Cancer. doi: 10.1186/s12943-021-01405-8. (2021)
Jaiswal A, Hoerth CH, Zuniga Pereira AM, Lorenz H. Improved spatial resolution by induced live cell and organelle swelling in hypotonic solutions. Sci Rep. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-49408-2. (2019)
Jaiswal A, Lorenz H. Blind Analysis Tools. (2019)
Jafarpour, A. & Lorenz, H. Cellulyzer - Automated analysis and interactive visualization/simulation of select cellular processes. arXiv:1703.02611 [physics.bio-ph]. (2017)

Comprehensive Overview of Publications

Funding Resources

This Core Facility has received funding by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the Ministry of Science Baden-Württemberg within the framework of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments of Germany.

This picture shows logotypes of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the Ministry of Science Baden-Württemberg.