Light microscopy especially confocal microscopy has seen tremendous developments - technical devices, software and application techniques - over the last 25 years. Our group with the Life Imaging Center has been actively participated in many fields just to name: fast live cell imaging, 2-Photon microscopy, spectral imaging, large area sample recording and image stitching, light-sheet microscopy, automatic intelligent content based image recording, high dynamic range imaging. Recently we have focused on improving instrument and data reliability of light microscopes as well as proper data storage and reporting of image recording methods and conditions. We are part of the DIN-Normenausschuss Feinmechanik und Optik NA 027-01-04 AA Microscopes and the ISO/TC 172/SC 5 Microscopes and endoscopes working groups 3, 9 and 10. We have founded QUAREP-LiMi, the international initiative “Quality Assessment and Reproducibility for Instruments & Images in Light Microscopy" (www.quarep.org), and are coordinating now more than 350 members worldwide from academia, industry and national standardization organizations.

Keywords:

light microscopy methods and techniques, standardization and quality control in light microscopy

10 selected publications:

• QUAREP-LiMi: a community endeavor to advance quality assessment and reproducibility in light microscopy.
  Boehm U, Nelson G, Brown CM, Bagley S, Bajcsy P, Bischof J, Dauphin A, Dobbie IM, Eriksson JE, Faklaris O, Fernandez-Rodriguez J, Ferrand A, Gelman L, Gheisari A, Hartmann H, Kukat C, Laude A, Mitkovski M, Munck S, North AJ, Rasse TM, Resch-Genger U, Schuetz LC, Seitz A, Strambio-De-Castillia C, Swedlow JR, Nitschke R (2021).
  Nat. Methods 18(12):1423-1426
• Micro-Meta App: an interactive tool for collecting microscopy metadata based on community specifications.
  Rigano A, Ehmsen S, Öztürk SU, Ryan J, Balashov A, Hammer M, Kirli K, Boehm, U, Brown CM, Bellve K, Chambers JJ, Cosolo A, Coleman RA, Faklaris O, Fogarty, KE, Guilbert T, Hamacher AB, Itano MS, Keeley DP, Kunis S, Lacoste J, Laude A, Ma WY, Marcello M, Montero-Llopis P, Nelson G, Nitschke R, Pimentel JA, Weidtkamp-Peters S, Park PJ, Alver BH, Grunwald D, Strambio-De-Castillia C (2021).
  Nat. Methods 18(12):1489-1495
• Progesterone modulates microtubule dynamics and epiboly progression during zebrafish gastrulation.
  Eckerle S, Ringler M, Lecaudey V, Nitschke R, Driever W (2018).
  Dev Biol. 434(2):249-266.
• Nuclear pore complex remodeling by p75(NTR) cleavage controls TGF-β signaling and astrocyte functions.
  Schachtrup C, Ryu JK, Mammadzada K, Khan AS, Carlton PM, Perez A, Christian F, Le Moan N, Vagena E, Baeza-Raja B, Rafalski V, Chan JP, Nitschke R, Houslay MD, Ellisman MH, Wyss-Coray T, Palop JJ, Akassoglou K (2015).
  Nat Neurosci. 18(8):1077-80
• Inhibition of mTORC1 by astrin and stress granules prevents apoptosis in cancer cells.
  Thedieck K, Holzwarth B, Prentzell MT, Boehlke C, Kläsener K, Ruf S, Sonntag AG, Maerz L, Grellscheid SN, Kremmer E, Nitschke R, Kuehn EW, Jonker JW, Groen AK, Reth M, Hall MN, Baumeister R (2013).
  Cell. 154(4):859-74.
• ViBE-Z: a framework for 3D virtual colocalization analysis in zebrafish larval brains.
  Ronneberger O, Liu K, Rath M, Rueβ D, Mueller T, Skibbe H, Drayer B, Schmidt T, Filippi A, Nitschke R, Brox T, Burkhardt H, Driever W (2012).
  Nat Methods. 9(7):735-42
• Comprehensive catecholaminergic projectome analysis reveals single-neuron integration of zebrafish ascending and descending dopaminergic systems.
  Tay TL, Ronneberger O, Ryu S, Nitschke R, Driever W (2011).
  Nat Commun. 2011 Jan 25;2:171.
• Inversin relays Frizzled-8 signals to promote proximal pronephros development.
  Lienkamp S, Ganner A, Boehlke C, Schmidt T, Arnold SJ, Schäfer T, Romaker D, Schuler J, Hoff S, Powelske C, Eifler A, Krönig C, Bullerkotte A, Nitschke R, Kuehn EW, Kim E, Burkhardt H, Brox T, Ronneberger O, Gloy J, Walz G (2010).
  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 107(47):20388-93
• Primary cilia regulate mTORC1 activity and cell size through Lkb1.
  Boehlke C, Kotsis F, Patel V, Braeg S, Voelker H, Bredt S, Beyer T, Janusch H, Hamann C, Gödel M, Müller K, Herbst M, Hornung M, Doerken M, Köttgen M, Nitschke R, Igarashi P, Walz G, Kuehn EW (2010).
  Nat Cell Biol. 12(11):1115-22.
• Mechanical induction of lateral root initiation in Arabidopsis thaliana.
  Ditengou FA, Teale WD, Kochersperger P, Flittner KA, Kneuper I, van der Graaff E, Nziengui H, Pinosa F, Li X, Nitschke R, Laux T, Palme K (2008).
  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 105(48):18818-23
• Quantum dots versus organic dyes as fluorescent labels.
  Resch-Genger U, Grabolle M, Cavaliere-Jaricot S, Nitschke R, Nann T (2008).
  Nat Methods. 2008 5(9):763-75.