Live cell imaging is a widely used microscopy technique to study the behaviour and the function of living cells in real time. It is indispensable for achieving a better understanding of the biological dynamics within cells, which cannot be properly analysed using microscopy of fixed samples. Topics that can be addressed using live cell microscopy include the study of cell migration, the analysis of cell-cell-interaction, and the monitoring of molecule localization, among others.

During the whole live cell imaging experiment, the cells need to be kept alive and healthy. Therefore, physiological conditions have to be established and maintained on the microscope. The webinar will provide an overview of the physiological requirements, the necessary equipment, and the planning of a live cell imaging experiment. We will discuss the challenges of creating and maintaining the optimal environmental conditions for long term cellular imaging. Furthermore, we will give a short introduction to our solution for live cell imaging, the ibidi Stage Top Incubation System.