Services

The Digital Light Microscopy Core Facility was established by the Scientific Council under the auspices of the Office of Research to provide services and expertise related to the use of wide-field digital imaging microscopy for biological research.

The goals of the facility include:

1. The acquisition of high-resolution digital microscope images of cells and tissue samples.
2. The instruction of personnel in the theory and practice of digital imaging microscopy, image analysis, image restoration and image visualization in 2-D and 3-D.

Services currently offered include:

1. Digital acquisition of fluorescence and phase contrast microscope images as a function of time, Z-height and fluorophore (up to a maximum of 4);
2. Processing of microscope images to reduce noise using the Metamorph software package from Universal Imaging;
3. Restoration of both confocal and wide-field digital microscope images to reverse the distortions introduced by the optics;
4. Identification, counting and sizing of features of interest in 2D and 3D images by image processing;
5. Visualization of 2D and 3D images;
6. Ca⁺⁺ Ratio Imaging (slow response times only ~ seconds);
7. Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) imaging; and
8. Time-lapse phase contrast and fluorescence live-cell imaging with Temperature and CO₂ control with the Harvard Apparatus MicroIncubator.