Contact Details
Wageningen University
Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen
Prof. dr. ir. M.E. Janson
0031 (0)317 483493
Hotel Description
The Wageningen Imaging and Spectroscopy Hub (WISH) consists out of four expertise groups that have run their facilities for 10 to 20 years focusing on plant research: Microspectroscopy, Light Microscopy, NMR Imaging and Electron Microscopy. Over the years best practice models for the operation of the various facilities were adapted and the Wageningen NMR Centre has operated successfully as an EU research Infrastructure for transnational access (1994-2009). Specific instrumentation is developed for studying photosynthesis in vivo using ultrafast fluorescence at the level of individual cells and chloroplasts. Advanced confocal microscopes (Spinning disk and CLSM) and many ancillary techniques (FCS, photoactivation, photoablation, life time) are available to study structure and functioning of living cells. Our expertise attracts visiting researchers from all over the world and the same is true for our MRI equipment to visualize and study xylem and phloem flow in living plants. The combined equipment allows studies on plant functioning in an integrative manner over large length and time scales ranging from molecules to whole organisms and nanosecond to weeks. Together we serve about 200 users per year, many from outside our university.
- Agri & Food
- Industrial biotech
- Life imaging setups e.g microfluidics flow chambers, temp and gas control (Nano~,
- Narashigi micro manipulation and Optical tweezers for physical micromanipulation (Molecular Machines and Ind)
- Basic Image Processing (ImageJ and Matlab)
- Spinning disk and laser confocal microscopy (Roper, Andor and Zeiss, Meta)
- Microdissection microscopy (Leica LMD 7000)
- Plant Sciences
- Cell biological research on cytoskeleton-aided pattern formation in model plants Arabidopsis and the moss Physcomitrella pattens
- Spectroscopic investigation of Energy transfer in Light Harvesting complexes - Photosynthesis
- Biochemical research on signal transduction pathways in Arabidopsis
- MRI of xylem and phloem flow in relation to plant water balance and sink-source activities
Expertise and Track Record
4350098205 Microscopic evaluation of capacitance imaging with dr.ir. H.A. Verhoeven (WUR). 435000029 Imaging of nanoparticle uptake by model soil organisms to facilitate environmental risk and safety assessment of engineered nanomaterials with dr. ir. N.W. van den Brink (WUR). 435002015 High throughput live imaging to identify embryogenic cells in culture With Boutelier (PRI).
We are unique in applying advanced imaging technologies to plant research within a multidisciplinary research environment of cell & developmental biologists, (bio-)physicists, biochemists and microbiologists. Advanced instrumentation has been developed for the particular purpose of studying photosynthesis in vivo with the use of ultrafast fluorescence at the level of individual cells and chloroplasts. Our expertise in these technologies is now world-leading and the same is true for xylem and phloem flow with the use of MRI in living tissue, i.e. plants and trees. The MRI facility has operated as an EU research Infrastructure for transnational access (period 1994 – 2009) and has substantial users from EU countries and the US (including access support by NSF grants).
We have worked closely with microscope developers to set up a live cell imaging station that combines spinning disk microscopy, FRAP, Photoactivation and intra cellular photoablation. High resolution data on single cellulose synthase complexes and cytoskeletal dynamics is now acquired using Arabidopsis and the innovative cell biological model system Physcomitrella patens (a moss exhibiting efficient homologous recombination) giving unprecedented mechanistic insight into intracellular patterning in plants. Confocal imaging of plant viral proteins and plant proteins enabled visualization of key structural alterations that allow virus movement from cell to cell. In addition advanced confocal imaging, including fluorescence lifetime measurements, allowed for the unraveling of receptor signal transduction cascades as well as plant development processes. Very recently we have built a unique four-colour TIRF microscope suitable for detecting single fluorescent molecules in-vivo at the plant plasma membrane with unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio and at a high temporal resolution. In addition TIRF has been applied to study protein interactions with the cytoskeleton down to the single molecule level in well-controlled in vitro model systems.
For our recent application to become a EuroBioimaging node we collected over 30 letters of intent from national and European users of our facility. Letters include a description of research that has been conducted at our centre or will be conducted in the near future. These letters are attached to this application (WISH_USER_LOIs.pdf).
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- H. Van As, J. van Duynhoven, “MRI of Plants and Foods”, J Magn Reson 229, 25-34 (2013) (Perspectives paper on invitation).
- D. L. Mullendore, C. W. Windt, H. Van As and M. Knoblauch, "Sieve tube geometry in relation to phloem flow," Plant Cell 22(3), 579-593 (2010)
- C.W. Windt, E. Gerkema, H. Van As, “Most water in the tomato truss is imported through the xylem, not the phloem: a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance flow imaging study”, Plant Physiology 151, 830-842 (2009)
- H. Van As, “Intact plant MRI for the study of cell water relations, membrane permeability, cell-to-cell and long distance water transport”, J. Experimental Botany 58 (4), 743 - 756 (2007)
- C.W. Windt, F.J. Vergeldt, P. A. de Jager and H. Van As, “MRI of long distance water transport: a comparison of the phloem and xylem flow characteristics and dynamics in poplar, castor bean, tomato and tobacco”. Plant Cell Environ 29, 1715-1729 (2006).
- Braun, M. ; Lansky, Z. ; Fink, G. ; Ruhnow, F. ; Diez, S. ; Janson, M.E. (2011) Adaptive braking by Ase1 prevents overlapping microtubules from sliding completely apart Nature Cell Biology 13 . - p. 1259 - 1264.
- Oort, B.F. van; Marechal, A. ; Ruban, A.V. ; Bruno, R. ; Pascal, A.A. ; Ruijter, N.C.A. de; Grondelle, R. van; Amerongen, H. van (2011) Different crystal morphologies lead to slightly different conformations of light-harvesting complex II as monitores by variations of the intrinsic fluorescence lifetime. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 13 (27). - p. 12614 - 12622.
- Ruyter-Spira, C.P. ; Kohlen, W. ; Charnikhova, T. ; Zeijl, A. van; Bezouwen, L. van; Ruijter, N.C.A. de; Cardoso, C. ; Lopez Raez, J.A. ; Matusova, R. ; Bours, R.M.E.H. ; Verstappen, F.W.A. ; Bouwmeester, H.J. (2011) Physiological effects of the synthetic strigolactone analog GR24 on root system architecture in Arabidopsis: Another below-ground role for strigolactones? Plant Physiology 155 (2). - p. 721 - 734.
- Sampathkumar, A. ; Lindeboom, J.J. ; Debolt, S. ; Gutierrez, R. ; Ehrhardt, D.W. ; Ketelaar, T. ; Persson, S. (2011) Live cell imaging reveals structural associations between the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 23 (6). - p. 2302 - 2313.
- Sparkes, I.A. ; Ketelaar, T. ; Ruijter, N.C.A. de; Hawes, C. (2009) Grab a Golgi: Laser trapping of golgi bodies reveals in vivo Interactions with the endoplasmic reticulum Traffic 10 (5). - p. 567 - 571.
The WISH group is part of NL-BioImaging (Marcel Janson, is member of the decision making body, the National Steering Committee ). In the first selection round Euro-Bioimaging Nodes the WISH was classified as highly recommended Imaging Centre.
Hotel Characteristics
- 4 fte lab managers
- 3 fte dedicated technicians
- 1 postdoc
20% service to third parties compared to internal WUR clients
- equipment main supplier name TCSPC Leica STREAK MP-FLIM mm-CLSM Zeiss CLSM/micro injection Zeiss en MMI META LSM510 sm-FRET / STORM CLSM/FCS Leica SEM Jeol TEM Philips Spinning Disk Andor Revolution TIRF Nikon TIRF Ti Liquid Crystal Polarization Zeiss LC polscope LF-MRI 3T MRI
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No long term storage is provided. Free server access is available for data transfer to users.