Optical in vivo imaging system for plant bioluminescence and fluorescence

Summary

The procurement covers one optical in vivo imaging system for delivery, installation and commissioning at the University of Tübingen’s plant molecular biology research unit. The system must repeatedly image living, intact plants without damaging them and measure bioluminescence and fluorescence, including luciferase reporters. The complete system is to include a light-tight sample chamber, a cooled scientific low-light camera, macro optics, motorised multichannel excitation and emission filters, a motorised sample stage, a computer and quantitative image-analysis software. The system must accommodate a potted plant at least 30 cm tall and also work with 12 × 12 cm agar plates, Petri dishes up to 15 cm and standard microtitre plates. Key requirements include a sensor of at least 4 megapixels, 16-bit acquisition, at least six motorised excitation channels covering 460–760 nm and six emission-filter positions covering 500–850 nm. It must allow motorised viewing-angle adjustment of at least ±10 degrees and unattended automated time-series imaging for at least seven days. Data must be exportable in open 16-bit TIFF or OME-TIFF format and numerical results in CSV or XLSX; an internet or cloud connection must not be required for operation. The bidder must supply a complete, ready-to-use system with the necessary accessories and licences, carry out installation, commissioning and acceptance testing, and provide at least one full day of on-site user training in German or English. The offer must include a detailed technical description, configuration and itemised pricing, together with the required forms, evidence and declarations. Offers will be assessed on price (30%), technical sensitivity and optics (36%), functionality for whole-plant applications (28%), and software, service, training and manufacturer’s warranty (6%). The maximum price is EUR 150,000 including VAT, or EUR 126,050 excluding VAT. Offers must be submitted electronically by 22 October 2026 at 12:00. Delivery and performance must be arranged by no later than the middle of calendar week 51 of 2026; commissioning and training are planned within four weeks after delivery.