Acquifer IM

Acquifer IM (Imaging Machine) is a fully automated widefield microscope with data storage and processing capabilities ideal for high-content screening assays and phenotypic screening for small-model organisms. Its static sample holder with a mobile optical unit ensures sample stability during imaging, making it ideal for imaging motion-sensitive samples, such as non-adherent cell cultures or embryos.

Intuitive

design

Provides easy, precise, and robust high-content screening and automated microscopy.

Optimal

sample-centered approach

Delivers ideal imaging conditions for sensitive specimens and long-term observations.

Effortless

software workflow

Visualizes large screening datasets and automating centering imaging.

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Features

High-Content Screening

The Acquifer IM is a high-performance solution for screening and high-throughput imaging assays and is compatible with all commonly available multi-well plates (adaptions possible). A host of unique features include built-in temperature regulation, a robotic lid, and an open interface for seamless integration into automated workflows. Its comprehensive data storage and processing integrations are ideal for researchers performing high-content or phenotypic screening.

The software and workflow enable low-magnification pre-screen data of a full microtiter plate to be readily visualized in the Plate-Viewer software on the Acquifer IM high-throughput screening microscope. Different tools and matching algorithms enable the selection of regions of interest (ROIs) for each well and robust autolocalization of target structures for feedback microscopy.

Acquifer IM is optimized for your high-throughput experiments with:

Optimal imaging conditions for sensitive specimens and long-term observations
Uniblock optical design moves to your sample while your sample remains stationary
Built-in temperature control (20 to 40°C) ± 0.5°C homogeneity over whole plate and over time

Automated timelapse microscopy: HeLa cells with H2B-mCherry imaged every 30 minutes for 48 hours. Courtesy of ALMF, EMBL.

Screening workflows for various assay requirements: Cell culture (left) and a zebrafish xenograft assay (right). Courtesy of Arwin Groenewould.

Applications

Zebrafish Imaging

The Acquifer IM is ideally suited for high-throughput screening of zebrafish, an important preclinical model to study development, disease, and molecular and drug screening. The combination of a static sample holder, a mobile optical unit, and built-in temperature regulation ensures specimen stability during imaging.

Embryonic zebrafish xenograft assay of cancer metastasis. Image courtesy of Arwin Groenewoud (Ewa Snaar-Jagalska lab, Leiden University. RGB changed to magenta-green).

High-content screening for chemical modulators of heart development in zebrafish. Images by 4DHeart ESR Eleonora Lupi (Nadia Mercader lab, University of Bern & Acquifer. RGB changed to magenta-green.).

Whole organism screening with organ-specificity in cystic kidney zebrafish disease models. See also: Pandey et al. 2019 (doi: 10.3390/ijms20061290). Image reproduced under CC BY 4.0 DEED.

High content screening in zebrafish for developmental nephrotoxicity of approved drugs. See also: Westhoff et al., 2020. Image reproduced under CC BY.

Organoid Imaging

Acquifer IM provides invaluable insights into cellular structures and dynamic processes, such as tissue morphogenesis, differentiation, and biophysics. With the ability to conduct high-throughput screenings, it supports the study of developing organoids in combination with advanced genome editing techniques and tissue sections.

Fish-derived organoids differentiating into retinal tissue (green). Courtesy of Venera Weinhardt. Zilova et al., 2021. Image reproduced under CC BY 4.0 DEED.

Other Applications

Tissue section of mouse kidney. Courtesy of Maria Bartosova, Uniklinikum Heidelberg, Germany.

Red dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) – 10x objective, 5x5 positions stitched. Courtesy of Mr Göppert, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Specifications

Objective	Magnification	Numerical Aperture	Working Distance
CFI P-Achromat UW2X	2x	0.06	7.5
CFI Plan Fluor4X	4x	0.13	17.2
CFI Plan Fluor10X	10x	0.3	16.0
CFI S P-Fluor ELWD20xC	20x	0.45	8.2-6.9
CFI S P-Fluor ELWD40xC	40x	0.6	3.6-2.8

IM Dimensions: 553mm (21.77") H x 528mm (20.79") W x 555mm (21.85") D

Add-On Module

Photomanipulation

The photomanipulation module was developed in collaboration with Rapp Optoelectronic, Wedel, Germany, who has over 20 years of experience in high-performance photomanipulation and advanced light microscopy techniques.

Its robust design enables researchers to perform advanced experiments with ease. Full datasets of entire microplates can be annotated and subsequently automatically photomanipulated without further user interaction. This enables large scale photomanipulation for various biomedical assays.

The module is an optional hardware upgrade allowing researchers to easily scale-up complex photomanipulation experiments such as photodamaging of cells and tissues, switch convertible fluorophores, uncage compounds or perform optogenetic activation.

Data by Dr. Jana Heigwer (Westhoff Lab, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg).

Automated Photomanipulation: GFP-positive distal pronephros of a cdh17:egfp transgenic zebrafish with annotated region of interest (left) and after photodamaging (right).

Acquifer IM Control Software

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The Plate-Viewer Software on the Acquifer IM High-Throughput Screening Microscope

Whole Organism Screening: Left: Three day old embryo of the epi:GFP;myl7mR transgenic line. Zebrafish embryos visualized in the Plate-Viewer software after automated ROI selection. Courtesy of Nadia Mercader, Uni Bern. Middle: The red bounding box indicates the field of view of a 10X objective used for subsequent high-resolution imaging. Right: Single z-plane of a high-resolution dataset automatically acquired on the Acquifer IM.

The Plate-Viewer visualization software utilizes data acquired with the Acquifer IM high-throughput screening microscope. The user interface and design allow for intuitive working with datasets, such as overviews of screening data, inspection of individual images and functionalities to adjust channels-display, save data visualizations or time-lapse movies.

Both the system and Plate-Viewer have an open interface that enables automated workflows and feedback-microscopy functionalities.

Conversion and export of images: Export of single z-planes, z-projections, z-stacks or time-series allows for versatility in data analysis. Also, batch export and various file formats (tif, jpeg, png, bmp, mp4) are available.
Feedback Microscopy: Features, such as automated object-detection algorithm and pre-scan ROI-selection enable feedback microscopy.
Plugin Interface: Data processing with external software utilizes a plugin interface. Advanced users can generate their own plugins.

Screenshot of the Plate-Viewer software, showing menus to data as images, stacks, or movies.

Screenshot of the Plate-Viewer software with segmentation based on Stardist/Otsu of nuclei from HeLa cells. Segmentation was performed by calling an external Fiji script via the plugin interface of PV.

Webinars

Select "Image is decorative" unless given very specific details as caption

On-Demand Session • 55 Minutes

Advances in Microscopy: A Gateway to Enhanced Research, Drug Development, and Diagnostics

Learn about the latest advances in microscopy for enhanced research, drug development, and diagnostics with guest speaker Prof. Nicole Endlich's.

Publications

Year	Journal	Title	Author(s)	Subject	Methodology
2023	Journal of the American Society of Nephrology	A Novel High-Content Screening Assay Identified … as Protective in a FSGS—Like Zebrafish Model	S Maximilian, S Florian, L Tim, (..) Endlich, Nicole	Embryo implantation, morphogenesis	Fish, kidney, Acquifer IM
2023	Scientific Reports	Identification of side effects of COVID-19 drug candidates on embryogenesis using an integrated zebrafish screening platform	A Ernst, I Piragyte, A Marwa, (..) Nadia Mercader	Embryogenesis, cardiovasculature, COVID-19	Zebrafish embryo model, phenotypic screening
2023	bioRxiv Pre-print	Natural genetic variation quantitatively regulates heart-rate and -dimension	J Gierten, B Welz, T Fitzgerald, (..) Joachim Wittbrodt	Embryonic heart development,	Japanese rice fish, genetic mapping, inbred vertebrate model
2023	Nature Methods	EmbryoNet: using deep learning to link embryonic phenotypes to signaling pathways	D Čapek, M Safroshkin, H Morales-Navarrete, (..) Patrick Müller	Signaling pathways, phenotypic defects	Zebrafish, machine learning, automated phenotyping, high-throughput drug screens
2023	Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology	pyHeart4Fish: Chamber-specific heart phenotype quantification of zebrafish in high-content screens	V Vedder, T Reinberger, S Haider, (..) Jeanette Erdmann	Cardiac chamber-specific parameters	Automated quantification, drug screen

Showing 1 to 5 of 22 entries

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