Arcturus Laser Capture Microdissection System

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced the Arcturus Cellect LCM instrument in 2021. In August 2023, Thermo Fisher announced an agreement under which Laxco sells new Cellect systems globally and provides service and support. Accuva Cellect is Laxco's offering of this system, so Arcturus users will recognize its cap-based capture workflow.

Accuva Cellect uses CapSure LCM caps. Under the 2023 agreement, Thermo Fisher Scientific continues to sell the LCM consumables. Laboratories moving from an older Arcturus instrument should confirm cap and slide formats with Laxco and validate their existing protocols on the new system before running study samples.

Review your sample types, stains, cap and slide formats, and downstream assays with a Laxco specialist. Run pilot captures with your existing protocols to confirm performance. Laxco offers on-site and virtual application training to help teams transfer established workflows to the current instrument.

Accuva Cellect has an infrared laser designed for capture of single cells or small numbers of cells and a UV laser designed for cutting dense structures, such as bone or plant tissue. A five-step software workflow with visual quality control guides target selection and documentation.

Manual microdissection is practical for large, well-defined regions. Laser capture suits small, scattered, or intermixed targets, where cells must be selected under magnification and boundaries defined precisely. It also allows selected regions to be documented in software.

Laxco lists FFPE and fresh-frozen tissue, H&E-stained and LCM-optimized stained sections, immunofluorescence, unstained samples, and cell culture for Accuva Cellect. Suitability also depends on the staining method, the downstream assay, and the amount of target material required, so align capture conditions with your extraction protocol.

Tumors contain malignant cells alongside stroma, immune cells, and normal tissue, which can dilute molecular signals in whole-tissue extracts. LCM allows tumor cells or specific microenvironment compartments to be isolated separately, giving a more defined input for mutation, expression, and biomarker studies.

Yes, for workflows designed for very small inputs. Laxco describes the Accuva Cellect infrared laser as designed for capture of single cells or small numbers of cells. Whether one cell provides enough material depends on your amplification and library preparation methods, so pilot captures are recommended.

LCM starts with visual review of a tissue section, so researchers select cells by location, morphology, or proximity to other structures. The captured material is analyzed separately while keeping a documented link to its original region, which supports comparisons between adjacent cell populations or tissue compartments.

Yes. Captured cells can be prepared for RNA sequencing, DNA sequencing, qPCR, and other molecular methods when workflows are adapted to low input. Laxco's microgenomics workflow for Accuva Cellect includes DNA and RNA extraction, LCM-optimized RNA extraction, linear and whole-genome amplification, and NGS library preparation.

Laxco provides on-site and virtual application training and live technical support for Accuva Cellect, with a 48-hour response commitment stated on the product page. Laxco's Cellect Grant Assistance Program also offers Grant Language Kits and a 15-minute Grant Fit consultation for NIH, NSF, HHMI, and DOD proposals.