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Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM)

I. Manipulation, Perturbation & Microengineering Unidad de Microscopia Óptica Avanzada Córdoba
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Equipment
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Technical Resources

Description

Tools for mechanical, optical, or magnetic intervention of biological samples at the microscopic scale.

How this lab uses this technology

The Advanced Optical Microscopy Unit uses the LCM technology through the ZEISS Palm Microbeam IV system to isolate specific cells and tissue regions for downstream molecular analyses, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics. The platform supports laser microdissection of both brightfield samples (histology and immunohistochemistry) and fluorescently labelled specimens, thanks to dedicated color and monochrome cameras. To further increase throughput and reproducibility, we have implemented an automated workflow based on QuPath, enabling AI-assisted identification of regions of interest and direct export of annotated ROIs to the PALM RoboSoftware for automated laser microdissection.

Lab-specific experience

The Advanced Optical Microscopy Unit has developed an integrated workflow combining digital pathology, AI-assisted image analysis, and laser microdissection. Using QuPath, regions of interest can be automatically identified based on morphological features, immunohistochemical staining, or fluorescence signals, and directly exported to the ZEISS PALM MicroBeam IV for automated laser microdissection. In particular, we have optimized protocols for laser microdissection of conventional tissue sections mounted directly on glass slides without membrane support, enabling the recovery of high-quality material for downstream mass spectrometry-based proteomics and other omics applications. This integrated workflow provides a highly reproducible and efficient solution for spatial proteomics, biomarker discovery, and other spatial omics studies.

Equipment

Zeiss (Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh) Laser Microdissector PALM MicroBeam...

Zeiss (Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh) Laser Microdissector PALM MicroBeam IV

Notes

Selected publications using this technology García-Martín A et al. Etrinabdione (VCE-004.8), a B55α activator, promotes angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in critical limb ischemia. J Transl Med. 2024 Nov 6;22(1):1003. doi: 10.1186/s12967-024-05748-w. PMID: 39506809; PMCID: PMC11539538.