Laser Capture Microdissection Instruments

Eukaryotic tissues are not homogeneous. They are comprised of many different cell types. Naturally, if such a tissue is ground up for analysis of DNA, RNA, or protein, the resulting signatures will represent the average of all the cells in the sample. Sometimes, though, researchers wish to focus specifically on one cell type of interest, for instance, when studying tumor biology. In those cases, researchers turn to laser capture microdissection (LCM), in which a laser is used to either bond the cells of interest from a microscope slide onto a membrane, or to excise a particular segment of tissue like a scalpel. Some LCM systems use an infrared laser to physically capture the desired cells; others use an ultraviolet laser to circumscribe the region(s) of interest. Laser power, speed, and excision mechanisms, are all key variables in selecting an LCM system, as is the ability to work with live cells. But don't forget your samples: by all accounts, LCM is relatively easy, it's the pre- and post-processing steps that cause the most trouble.