Cellular Imaging Core
Services and Cost Recovery Charges
Microscopy
As part of the Microscopy Facilities made available by the Core, the laboratory houses the following fluorescence microscopes and related imaging facilities for communal use within the Centre:
- A Zeiss 510 Meta confocal microscope in inverted configuration suitable for glass slides and live cell work. Available for all staff and students
- A wide-field inverted Nikon TE2000U fluorescence microscope fitted with 1x to 60x objectives with separate B&W fluorescence and colour video cameras to image both slides and cells in culture. An optional motorised stage and z focus is available for raster scans of the specimen. Available for all staff and students
- An Olympus BX-51 upright wide-field microscope for imaging samples on glass slides, suitable for FISH and chromosome analysis with Leica’s Cytovision. This microscope is primarily for the use of the Chromosome Dynamics and Cellular-Imaging Core staff, as part of their Core service provision.
- A Leica TCS SP8 confocal with optional FLIM+FCS hybrid detectors and white light laser is on order and will be fully operational around mid September 2013. It will be available for all staff and students.
- Access to the Core's Leica CM-3050-S Cryostat. Available for all staff and students
Plus there are a few stand-alone image analysis and processing PC workstations running Applied Imaging Genus, NIS Elements, IPLab, MetaMorph v7.5 with Fluor Co-localisation, ImageJ and Improvision Volocity deconvolution software v4.2. Available for all staff and students.
Services provided
- Day to day care of the instruments
- General technical support and help with troubleshooting
- Training sessions on the microscope(s) of choice
- Advice on microscopy, live cell imaging, image acquisition, image processing, image analysis and photo editing
- Advice on advanced microscope techniques such as FLIM, FRAP and FRET
- Advice on the design and practical execution of immunofluorescence experiments (including provision of protocols and few aliquots of key reagents to start off)
Cost Recovery Charges
At present the use of our Core microscopes and image analysis workstations are free for all Wellcome Trust Centre staff and members of CCMP and STRUBI. We operate a minimal charge cost recovery system that only recovers the cost of the consumables we have to use for the techniques.
Newt
Pinfox