Tenders Are Invited For Molecular Microscopes – Supply, Installation And Commissioning Of A Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (Smlm) Equipment To Perform Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (Storm), Seven Project, Erc-2025-Stg 101220977, Funded By The European Research Council (Erc) Of The European Union.

Molecular Microscopes – Supply, Installation And Commissioning Of A Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (Smlm) Equipment To Perform Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (Storm), Seven Project, Erc-2025-Stg 101220977, Funded By The European Research Council (Erc) Of The European Union.. Storm Microscopy Is A Super-Resolution Technique (Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (Smlm)) That Allows The Observation Of Biological Structures At Scales Well Below The Diffraction Limit Of Light, Reaching Resolutions Of The Order Of Tens Of Nanometers. Its Principle Is Based On A Few Emitting Light In Each Cycle. This Allows The Position Of Each Fluorescent Molecule To Be Located With Great Precision And, After Thousands Of Activation And Recording Cycles, To Reconstruct A High-Resolution Image. In Practice, Storm Has Become A Key Tool For Studying Molecular Organization Within Cells And Tissues, As Well As In The Emerging Field Of Extracellular Vesicles (Object Of Interest In Seven). This Technique Allows Mapping Individual Proteins, Supramolecular Complexes, Subcellular Structures As Well As Extracellular Vesicles. Furthermore, Its Compatibility With Fixed Samples And Multiple Fluorophores Makes It Versatile And Relatively Accessible In Advanced Laboratories. Its Benefits Include The Possibility Of Visualizing Biological Processes At A Nanometric Scale And The Expression Of Proteins On The Surface Of Extracellular Vesicles Without Resorting To Invasive Techniques Such As Electron Microscopy. It Also Offers High Specificity Thanks To The Use Of Targeted Fluorescent Markers (Antibodies), Allowing The Spatial Distribution Of Specific Molecules To Be Studied Within Complex Cellular Environments. Currently, There Is No Equipment Of These Characteristics At The University Of Zaragoza, Which Forces Researchers To Outsource The Analysis Of Their Samples To External Centers, This Being Dependent On The Availability Of The Equipment. Likewise, The External Equipment Must Always Be Used By The External Service Technician, Which Significantly Limits The Progress Of The Project. The Acquisition Of This Equipment Is Part Of The Needs Of The Seven Project, Which Requires Full Availability Of Equipment Of These Characteristics In Order To Achieve Its Experimental Objectives.