Microscopy Suite

The Microscopy Suite (MS) is one of the two primary service facilities supported by the Imaging Technology group. A wide range of imaging modalities and supporting equipment is available for the preparation, imaging and analysis of microscopic specimens.

Instruments in the facility include dissecting, stereology, fluorescence, confocal, transmission electron, environmental scanning electron, atomic force and near field scanning optical microscopes. Various supporting facilities include a developing and a printing darkroom, a wet lab and a library of books and small equipment available for checkout. Ancillary equipment housed in the supporting facilities includes an ultramicrotome, a carbon evaporator, a sputter coater, a fiber optic puller and an optical diffractometer. Consult the equipment pages for detailed information.

The Microscopy Suite is located in the basement of Beckman in Suite B606.

Extensive computing facilities for data analysis, processing and interpretation are available within the suite and in the Visualization, Media and Imaging Laboratory (VMIL). Visit the software pages or follow the VMIL hyperlink for more information.

A secondary mission of the ITG is the development of new imaging technologies and a number of projects are centered around the instruments in the Microscopy Suite. The main focus of these projects is the development of systems for remote and automated control of instruments. The ITG also supports several educational and outreach projects specifically related to the Microscopy Suite, for example Bugscope and the Web Atlas of Cellular Structures.