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Cell Observatory Leiden University

Contact Details

Leiden University

Einsteinweg 55 2333 CC Leiden

Prof. Dr. Annemarie Meijer

+31 (0)71 527 4927

Hotel Description

The Cell Observatory houses cutting-edge bio imaging technology and other facilities, aimed at visualizing the dynamic structures of life – from molecule to cell to organism. It is located in the new Gorlaeus building of Leiden University and serves as  a meeting place and shared facility for scientists from different institutes of the Faculty of Science, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. The goal of research at the Cell Observatory is to visualize and comprehend the dynamics of the living cell down to the molecular level, because understanding of these fundamental mechanisms of life is essential for progress in tackling disease.

This group participates in NL-BioImaging AM (http://www.eurobioimaging.nl).

An overview of the equipment can be found here: http://oari.science.leidenuniv.nl/#/group/CELLOBS

Bioimaging
Public
  • Biomedical & health
  • automated multi-parametric image and data analysis
  • siRNA screening, CRISPR/Cas technologies
  • single cell RNAseq
  • single molecule FISH
  • activity-based chemical probes
  • Mechanisms of disease and drug target discovery
  • Drug efficacy, safety and delivery
  • Biology and physics of the origin of life
  • Chemical biology
  • Microbial cell biology

Expertise and Track Record

43500985032 High Resolution Analysis of Cell Fate Decisions in Totipotent Cells with K. Boutilier (Wageningen University). 43500984123 Profiling the Duchenne Brain Transcriptome using Single Cell RNA-sequencing with A. Mahfouz (Leiden University)

The Cell Observatory has unique and long-term experience in high throughput high-end microscopy using automated live cell time-lapse confocal microscopy in combination focused RNAi/compound screening strategies. It has world leading expertise in the application of fluorescent protein biosensors for cell signaling pathways using BAC-GFP transgenomics approaches and application in RNAi screening and drug safety assessment. Moreover, the application of high throughput phenotypic screening in complex 3D organoids and zebrafish embryos is well established.

  • Cellular adhesome screen identifies critical modulators of focal adhesion dynamics, cellular traction forces and cell migration behaviour. Fokkelman M, Balcıoğlu HE, Klip JE, Yan K, Verbeek FJ, Danen EH, van de Water B. Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 17;6:31707. doi: 10.1038/srep31707.
  • Tumor cell migration screen identifies SRPK1 as breast cancer metastasis determinant. van Roosmalen W, Le Dévédec SE, Golani O, Smid M, Pulyakhina I, Timmermans AM, Look MP, Zi D, Pont C, de Graauw M, Naffar-Abu-Amara S, Kirsanova C, Rustici G, Hoen PA, Martens JW, Foekens JA, Geiger B, van de Water B. J Clin Invest. 2015 Apr;125(4):1648-64. doi: 10.1172/JCI74440.
  • SYK is a candidate kinase target for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Ghotra VP, He S, van der Horst G, Nijhoff S, de Bont H, Lekkerkerker A, Janssen R, Jenster G, van Leenders GJ, Hoogland AM, Verhoef EI, Baranski Z, Xiong J, van de Water B, van der Pluijm G, Snaar-Jagalska BE, Danen EH. Cancer Res. 2015 Jan 1;75(1):230-40. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-0629.
  • Correlative light and electron microscopy imaging of autophagy in a zebrafish infection model. Hosseini R, Lamers GE, Hodzic Z, Meijer AH, Schaaf MJ, Spaink HP.Autophagy. 2014 Oct 1;10(10):1844-57. doi: 10.4161/auto.29992.
  • The DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulator DRAM1 links mycobacterial recognition via TLR-MYD88 to autophagic defense. van der Vaart M, Korbee CJ, Lamers GE, Tengeler AC, Hosseini R, Haks MC, Ottenhoff TH, Spaink HP, Meijer AH. Cell Host Microbe. 2014 Jun 11;15(6):753-67. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.05.005.
  • FuseFISH: robust detection of transcribed gene fusions in single cells. Semrau S, Crosetto N, Bienko M, Boni M, Bernasconi P, Chiarle R, van Oudenaarden A. Cell Rep. 2014 Jan 16;6(1):18-23. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.12.002

Hotel Characteristics

  • Nikon A1r MP
  • Nikon C1
  • Nikon TE 2000-E
  • Union Biometrica VAST BioImager system
  • Leica DM4000
  • Beckman Coulter Biomek FX
  • BD pathway 855
  • Zeiss Imager
  • Zeiss Observer