Conpokal Technique
Conpokal Technique - Related Videos
09:20
Near Simultaneous Laser Scanning Confocal and Atomic Force Microscopy (Conpokal) on Live Cells
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Cited by 10 •
2020
Presented here is the protocol of the Conpokal technique, which combines confocal and atomic force microscopy into a single instrument platform. Conpokal provides same cell, same region, near simultaneous confocal imaging and mechanical characterization of live biological samples.
04:14
Lab Techniques - Concepts
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2020
Measurement Accuracy The ability to repeat an experiment and get the same results, or reproducibility, is essential in scientific research. However, it’s impossible to repeat an experiment if you don’t know how you did it. Thus, scientists keep detailed records of their experiments in lab notebooks. These records include important information like the amount of each material used and descriptions of each step of the procedure. Equipment, like balances and volumetric or graduated glassware, is...
01:21
Lab Techniques - Instructor Prep
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2020
Source: Smaa Koraym at Johns Hopkins University, MD, USA Preparation of LaboratoryExpand Here we show the laboratory preparation for 10 students working individually, with some excess. Please adjust quantities as needed. To set up for this lab experiment, wear the appropriate personal protective equipment, including a lab coat, chemical splash goggles, and gloves. Obtain enough small plastic bottles with caps for the number of students and label them ‘NaCl’. Use a...
08:53
Lab Techniques - Student Protocol
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2020
Source: Smaa Koraym at Johns Hopkins University, MD, USA Determining the Density of an EggExpand Density is a measure of how compact a substance or object is, and it is calculated as mass divided by volume. When a dense object is placed in a liquid with a lower density, the object sinks; when the object is less dense than the liquid, it floats. When the densities are the same, the object will be suspended in the liquid. In this experiment, we'll determine the density of an egg by creating a...
08:12
Zebrafish Microinjection Techniques
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2023
One of the major advantages to working with zebrafish (Danio rerio) is that their genetics can be easily manipulated by microinjection of early stage embryos. Using this technique, solutions containing genetic material or knockdown constructs are delivered into the blastomeres: the embryonic cells sitting atop the yolk of the newly fertilized egg. Delivery into the cytoplasm is achieved either through direct injection into the blastomere, or via natural cytoplasmic movements that occur after a...
FAQs
The technique gains its value from assigning each imaging mode the part of the specimen it handles best. Confocal imaging can reveal fine fluorescence detail in relatively thin regions, whereas multiphoton imaging supplies optical sectioning for deeper, three-dimensional regions. Combining the resulting views allows investigators to examine surface features and internal organization within a single imaging strategy.
Confocal contrast depends on point illumination and a pinhole that rejects fluorescence originating outside the focal plane. Multiphoton imaging instead uses nonlinear excitation, typically with near-infrared light, to produce optical sectioning at greater depth. These mechanisms are complementary rather than interchangeable, so the appropriate mode depends on whether the target is thin and surface-oriented or thick and three-dimensional.
Correlating the two imaging regimes can reveal relationships that either view alone may miss. Surface detail can be assessed alongside deeper structural organization, making it easier to connect visible architecture with how a specimen is arranged through its volume. The approach also reduces the need to prepare separate samples, supporting more direct comparison of observations from the same specimen.
A practical workflow is to identify specimen regions requiring surface or thin-section detail and those requiring depth-resolved imaging. Confocal acquisition can address the thinner regions, while multiphoton acquisition examines deeper three-dimensional areas. Researchers can correlate the datasets afterward to relate external features to internal organization, provided the observations come from the same engineered construct or sample.
Within bioengineering, the method is suited to engineered tissues, biomaterials, and organoid-like constructs because these samples may contain both accessible surfaces and complex internal structure. Imaging them across complementary depths can help evaluate scaffold performance, follow cell behavior, and examine tissue development. The resulting observations connect material or construct architecture with biological organization rather than treating them as separate questions.
Live-cell imaging allows researchers to examine cells within engineered tissues, biomaterials, or organoid-like constructs without limiting assessment to fixed structural snapshots. When paired with complementary views from thin and thick regions, it can support evaluation of cell behavior alongside scaffold or tissue organization. This is particularly relevant when development or cellular responses are central experimental outcomes.