Leica Stellaris TauSTED Xtend Super-Resolution Microscope
The Leica STELLARIS TauSTED Xtend is an advanced super-resolution microscope designed to investigate biological structures and dynamic processes at the nanoscale. The system combines conventional confocal microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging and STED super-resolution microscopy within a single platform.
TauSTED uses fluorescence lifetime information generated during the STED process to improve spatial resolution without relying solely on increasing depletion laser power. This enables high-resolution imaging at substantially reduced light doses compared with conventional STED approaches, making the technique particularly valuable for sensitive samples, live-cell imaging and repeated time-series experiments.
TauSTED Xtend further combines the lifetime-derived information with an integrated reconstruction approach to improve image quality and resolution while preserving low-light imaging conditions. The system can therefore be used for both demanding fixed-cell nanoscopy and dynamic super-resolution imaging of living biological specimens.
- 2D and 3D STED super-resolution microscopy
- TauSTED and TauSTED Xtend imaging
- Gentle super-resolution imaging of living cells
- Long-term and repeated super-resolution time-series
- Multicolour super-resolution microscopy
- Confocal imaging
- Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)
- Lifetime-based signal separation and unmixing
- Imaging of organelle morphology and interactions
- Cytoskeletal dynamics
- Membrane contact sites
- Synaptic and neuronal structures
- Protein localisation and nanoscale organisation
- Fixed cells, tissues and live biological specimens
- Nanoscale imaging beyond the diffraction limit
- Lifetime-based TauSTED can achieve substantial resolution enhancement at lower STED depletion powers
- Reduced light exposure makes super-resolution imaging more accessible for sensitive and living samples
- TauSTED Xtend integrates lifetime information with image reconstruction to further improve resolution and signal quality
- Suitable for fluorescent proteins as well as synthetic fluorophores
- Combines confocal, STED and fluorescence lifetime measurements on one microscope
- Supports multicolour experiments across a broad range of fluorescent labels
- Suitable for both live and fixed specimens
- FALCON lifetime detection enables rapid FLIM and lifetime-based analysis
- Leica STELLARIS platform
- TauSTED and TauSTED Xtend super-resolution
- 2D and 3D STED imaging
- 589 nm and 775 nm STED depletion
- White Light Laser excitation
- Power HyD detection
- FALCON fluorescence lifetime detection
- TauSense and FLIM imaging
- Multicolour confocal and super-resolution imaging
- Lifetime-based signal separation and unmixing
Objectives
Leica STELLARIS TauSTED Xtend – Laser Lines
Excitation lasers
- White Light Laser (WLL): Continuously tunable from 440–790 nm, selectable in 1 nm increments.
- Up to 8 excitation wavelengths can be selected simultaneously.
- 405 nm diode laser: Additional excitation for blue fluorophores.
STED depletion lasers
- 589 nm – Blue/green fluorophores.
- 660 nm – Orange/red fluorophores.
- 775 nm – Red/far-red fluorophores.
