Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) Microscope

The laser microdissection microscope allows the collection of micro-samples for cell-scale transcriptomic analyses. The PALM Microbeam uses a concentrated laser to cut and isolate the target sample at micrometer precision. A laser “catapult” then ejects the selected region quickly and contamination-free. Captured RNA can subsequently be extracted using specific protocols and analysed via quantitative PCR or RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Other potential applications include metabolomics, proteomics, microbial isolation, and single-cell genomics, although these have not yet been developed in the laboratory.

Applications:

• Transcriptomic studies of tissues infected by pathogens
• Analysis of mycorrhizal symbiosis
• Investigation of cell-scale physiological processes
• Studies of wood tissue
   

Key References

• Hacquard et al., 2010. Laser Capture Microdissection of Uredinia Formed by Melampsora larici-populina Revealed a Transcriptional Switch Between Biotrophy and Sporulation. MPMI, 23(10), 1275–1286.
• Hacquard et al., 2013. Functional heterogeneity within ectomycorrhizas. Environmental Microbiology, 15, 1853–1869. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.12080
• Durand et al., 2020. Element content and expression of genes of interest in guard cells are connected to spatiotemporal variations in stomatal conductance. Plant, Cell & Environment, 43(1), 87–102.

Contact:

• Equipment coordinator: Christophe Rose christophe.rose@inrae.fr 
• Unit coordinator: Julien Ruelle julien.ruelle@inrae.fr