Mad City Labs, Inc is a leading manufacturer of flexure based nanopositioning systems capable of sub-nanometer positioning resolution. Our product line covers the entire spectrum of nanopositioning capabilities while maintaining a leadership role in multi-axis stages for high speed optical microscopy imaging. Mad City Labs design engineers use 3D CAD and finite element analysis to produce nanopositioners which combine long ranges of motion with exceptional linearity, orthogonality, and stability. Our in-house CNC machining centers provide complete control of mechanical assembly production and allow Mad City Labs to design and fabricate custom systems with minimal engineering costs and short lead times. We deliver the tools for nanotechnology in 30 to 45 days and provide the highest level of customer service and satisfaction in the industry. We provide innovative and practical solutions for today’s demanding biotechnology and nanotechnology applications. Applications for nanopositioners include super resolution microscopy, high speed confocal imaging, AFM, NSOM, scanning probe microscopy, fiber positioning, single molecule spectroscopy, single molecule/particle tracking, high resolution optical alignment, SR optical microscopy, sub-diffraction limit microscopy, nanoscopy and lithography.
Mad City Labs, Inc.
2524 Todd Drive
Madison, WI 53713
UNITED STATES
Phone: 608 298-0855
The Mad360™ is a compact precision rotational stage. The rotational motion is bidirectional and continuous 360°. Minimum rotational steps of 1 milliradian and capable of speeds up to 20 rotations/second, the Mad360™ is a versatile motion control device.
Mad City Labs recently announced the release of the MCL-NSOM, a versatile near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM). The MCL-NSOM is an aperture NSOM built on Mad City Labs RM21™ inverted optical microscope, which allows users to convert to aperture-less NSOM, AFM and fluorescence optical microscopy.
Progress in understanding the lipid bilayer – an ingenious two-molecule thick oily barrier that protects all living cells, including our own – has been dramatic over the past 100 years. But there are still puzzles to be solved such as how these membrane proteins, which are oily themselves, navigate the oily lipid bilayer to go about their work. The first step for scientists is to figure out the thermodynamic rules that govern protein assembly in membranes.
Applying physics to the properties and underlying structures of the molecules of life offers an insight into the mechanisms that make living beings tick. But even seemingly simple actions like muscle contraction involve a wide array of biological interactions, which has shrouded the dynamics and function of individual molecules behind a curtain of complexity. The scientific community has developed a powerful toolbox of methods to probe these interactions over the past two decades, uncovering previously hidden information about the structure, dynamics and function of individual biomolecules.
Every nanopositioner has a small amount of uncertainty in its position that contributes noise to a measurement. It's important to understand what position noise is and where it comes from in order to know just how accurate the nanopositioner is.
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is used to watch biological processes unfold in real time. Taking advantage of the ability to label individual molecules with different colors of fluorescent tags, TIRF microscopy lets scientists view the complex molecular assemblies that govern cellular processes.
Atomic force microscopes (AFMs) are versatile tools for characterizing surfaces down to the subnanometer scale. Researchers can build their own AFMs for as little as $30,000 using off-the-shelf components such as nanopositioning stages.
The RM21™ Advanced Microscope is our most versatile inverted optical microscope capable of supporting super resolution microscopy, multi-spectral CoSMoS, and a variety of light microscopy methods. It is ideal for single molecule localization microscopy and epifluorescence microscopy but can be extended to other microscopy methods including optical and magnetic tweezers, and AFM integration.
The RM21™ Classic Microscope is an inverted optical microscope that has been specifically designed for nanometer scale microscopy. It is ideal for single molecule localization microscopy and epifluorescence microscopy but can be extended to other microscopy methods.
The RM21™ Versa Microscope is an inverted optical microscope with a fixed objective lens position for maximum stability. It includes a sub-nanometer precision, Z-axis closed loop piezo nanopositioning system designed to meet the requirements of super resolution microscopy. The RM21™ Versa microscope is ideal for single molecule localization microscopy and epifluorescence microscopy where sub-nanometer precision is only required in the Z-axis.
The MCL-NSOM is a fully operational near-field scanning optical microscope that features a 635 nm laser excitation source, fiber launch, an oil immersion objective lens, a CMOS alignment camera, and an avalanche photodiode detector. It is designed to allow users to convert between NSOM, SPM, and fluorescence optical microscopy techniques.
The RM21™ Microscope is an adaptable microscopy platform that is designed to allow direct access to the entire optical pathway. The RM21™ is compatible with 30 mm and 60 mm cage systems, and is designed to be configured on a standing optical table. It is suitable for applications such as optical and magnetic tweezers, AFM integration and fluorescence microscopy.
