Confocal Microscopy Core

This Core provides assistance and access to confocal imaging systems that are capable of standard imaging features, including FRAP, FRET, 2D and 3D tracking, 3D volume measurements, ROI photostimulation/bleaching, object counting, tracking, image stitching and data analysis. Equipment includes: a Zeiss Confocal Microscope System includes an inverted microscope and environmental chamber for control of temperature, CO2/O2 for live cell manipulation, a Nikon C2 laser scanning confocal microscope that can perform live cell imaging under controlled environmental parameters of temperature, CO2 concentration and O2 concentration. The system has four solid state lasers (405, 488, 561 and 640 nm emission) and three high speed PMTs. Monitoring of fluorescence in three individual channels simultaneously, photo-bleaching and photo-conversion techniques to measure kinetic parameters of rapid protein movement in vivo in real time are routinely used. The system is equipped with an automated Perfect Focus system to permit long duration time lapse imaging. The facility also houses an Evos F1 inverted epifluorescence microscope capable of generating publication quality fluorescent and bright field images, a Nikon Elipse upright epifluorescence microscope with a CoolSnap color camera.