Microscopy & Imaging Core

Director: Lorenzo, Patricia

Summary:

The Microscopy and Imaging Core at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center (CC) provides access to a wide range of imaging instruments to UHCC member, and will soon extend the service to non-members. The facility also offers access to a licensed MetaMorph software package for the processing and analysis of microscopy images.
Currently, the core houses four major instruments and three microscopes for routine fluorescence and brightfield use.

The core is also in charge of maintenance and service of an IVIS Lumina (Caliper Life Sciences). This is a highly sensitive system to image fluorescent and/or bioluminescent reporters both in vivo and in vitro.

Affiliations:

• University of Hawai'i Cancer Center

People:

• Director: Lorenzo, Patricia
  

Member: Su, Vivian
Role: Junior Researcher

Resources:

Instruments

• Becton Dickinson FACScan flow cytometer ( Flow cytometer )
  

  This is a single laser analytical flow cytometer with excitation through a 488 nm laser line. In addition to the usual scatter parameters, it offers 3 fluorescence colors detection capabilities.

• Laser capture microdissection system ( Laser capture microdissection microscope )
  

  This microscope is a fully automated, inverted Olympus IX81 equipped with 4x, 10x, 20x, and 60x objectives. It is associated with the MMI Cell Cut Plus (Molecular Machines & Industry), which provides the laser cutting capabilities and mini caplift technology for recovering the cut material without contamination.

• Leica TCS SP5 laser confocal microscope ( Laser scanning confocal microscope )
  

  This instrument is equipped with spectral capabilities, based on the use of the AOBS system. The basic microscope is an automated inverted Leica DM 6000 with 2.5X, 40X and 63X objectives. Three lasers lines complete the instrument: Ar (458 nm, 476 nm, 488, 514 nm), HeNe green (543 nm), and HeNe Red (633 nm). A Bioptech FCS2 Closed Chamber System is associated to this microscope to allow live-cell micro-observation under perfusion and thermal control conditions.

• Nikon Diaphot inverted microscope ( Inverted microscope )
  

  This inverted microscope is equipped with 2.5X, 20X and 40X objectives that allow phase contracts and one color (green fluorescence capabilities). A Microfire (Olympus) CCD camera is attached to this instrument for image acquisition.

• Olympus IX71 with Qimaging CCD monochrome camera ( Inverted microscope )
  

  This is an inverted microscope used for a wide range of research techniques, located in our Lauhala building. It is equipped with 10x, 20x, 40x, 60x and 100x objectives that allow phase contrast as well as fluorescence imaging. A Qimaging CCD monochrome camera is dedicated to this microscope for image acquisition.

• Olympus IX81 time-lapse system with environmental chamber ( Inverted microscope )
  

  This is an inverted, fully motorized microscope, which offers widefield and fluorescence capabilities. The microscope contains 4x, 10x, 20x, and 60x objectives, and is connected to a Hamamatsu monochrome CCD camera. A WeatherStation environmental chamber (Precision Control LCC) allows temperature control and gas regulation, permitting live cell time-lapse experimentation.

• Zeiss Axioplan with Coolsnap color camera ( Fluorescence microscope )
  

  The Axioplan is an upright, high-resolution microscope equipped with widefield fluorescence, DIC, brightfield, and darkfield imaging capabilities. It possesses a slide filter set for fluorescence imaging with blue, green, and red fluorophores. The microscope is equipped with 10x, 20x, 40x, 63X, and 100x objectives. A CoolSnap color CCD camera is dedicated to this instrument for image acquisition.

Software

• MetaMorph ( Software )
  

  "MetaMorph Microscopy Automation & Image Analysis Software is the industry standard for automated microscope acquisition, device control, and image analysis, bringing microscopists greater understanding of cell morphology, function, and behavior for over 25 years."