Imaging Core Equipment Photos

4D-Nucleofector Core X/Y (Lonza).  The X unit supports nucleofection of various cell numbers in different formats and it is used to transfect cells in suspension. The Y unit enables transfection of adherent mammalian cells in 24-well plates. Cells can be transfected with either DNA or RNA. Information about the 4D-Nucleofector is available on the company’s website.
 

Nikon T1-E microscope with A1 confocal and STORM super-resolution modules. The system allows imaging of live or fixed cells and tissues labeled with fluorophores using conventional or confocal microscopy. In addition, the system is equipped to perform a super-resolution microscopy, specifically STochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM). Super-resolution microscopy allows a precise localization of a fluorophore, which is beyond the diffraction limit of light. Super-resolution microscopy achieves resolution ten times greater than conventional optical microscopy. The system is also equipped to perform spectral imaging experiments and other state-of-the-art fluorescent optical approaches (TIRF, FRET, FRAP). A high temporal and spatial resolution EMCCD camera is attached to the system. The system is equipped with a stage top environmental chamber for prolonged observation of living cells.

Zeiss LSM510/Meta confocal microscope. This system is a conventional confocal microscope fully equipped to image cells and tissues labeled with fluorophores. It also allows for the study of ions with high sensitivity in the inline-scanning mode. It has the capability of performing spectral imaging analysis, albeit at lower resolution than the Nikon system. The system operates using an upright microscope.

Zeiss Axiovert 200 M microscope. This microscope is one of the most popular microscopes in the Image Analysis Core Facility. The microscope is inverted, fully motorized and equipped with 10x, 20x and 63x objectives for a wide filed fluorescence microscopy. Color and monochrome Axiocam CCD cameras are attached to the microscope, allowing capture of colored samples (e.g. H&E, peroxidase stained samples) or low-intensity florescent samples (e.g. YFP, GFP, RFP and DAPI), respectively. The objectives and filters also permit acquisition of phase contrast and differential interference contrast (DIC) images. The microscope stage is equipped with a holder that accommodates various sizes cell culture dishes and plates, allowing a quick examination of transfection efficiency.

Metafluor Imaging System for the study of ion movements in living cells. This system allows the study of ions using ion-fluorescent indicators in living cells. It utilizes a cooled CCD camera (Pentamax) and a rapid filter changer (Lamda DG4) to allow for the changing of the excitation wavelength in as fast as 1 msec. This allows for fast temporal and spatial resolution of images in living cells to study calcium waves, proton gradients or other ions. It is attached to an inverted microscope (Olympus IX70) equipped with DIC optics.

Zeiss Axioimager M2 microscope for stereoscopic analysis. This system is fully motorized and configured for bright field and multi-channel fluorescent imaging. The microscope is equipped with x, y, z motorized stage and Zeiss ApoTome system to create focal optical sections through your thick specimens using structured illumination. Images are acquired with a low noise CMOS chip 2048 x 2048 pixels monochrome digital camera (ORCA-Flash4.0, Hamamatsu). It works with Stereo Investigator, Neurolucida, and deconvolution software (MBF Bioscience).

IVIS Lumina XR (Caliper Sciences). This system allows real time tracking of cells expressing bioluminescent or fluorescent proteins simultaneously with X-ray digital imaging technology in live small animals. It can also be used for tracking bacteria engineered to express luminescent or fluorescent proteins. One of the systems is located in the Laboratory Animal Resources Center (LARC) at TTUHSC to conveniently study immunocompromised mice. The system located in the Image Analysis Core Facility (5AB100) can be used for non-immunocompromised mice or any other small animals.

Workstation for data analysis. Several computers are available for off-line analysis of digital images created in the facility with all necessary software for image data analysis.