W.M. Keck Microscopy Facility

We use all three major computing platforms and a myriad of hardware and software to accomplish our work at the facility. Here is some of what we use:

	Macintosh	PC	Unix
Image Collection	OpenLab Nikon E800 Nikon TE300	Nikon TE300 Metamorph Zeiss LSM 510 Zeiss Axiovert 100M
Deconvolution	Velocity	Huygens Essentials	Huygens
Rendering	Velocity	Imaris	Imaris
Analysis		LSM Ratio Imaging Colocalization Intensity Profiler	Nerontracer Colocalization
Database		Image Access

1. Nikon Upright E800
This microscope is equipped with a Princeton Instruments CCD camera, and uses the Mac based Openlab acquisition software by Improvision for image acquisition. The scope is best suited to looking at fixed, cover slipped, cells or tissue sections. The scope is used for collecting light or fluorescence images.

2. Nikon Inverted TE300
This microscope is equipped with a Hamamatsu Orca camera and also uses Openlab for image acquisition. Because the scope is inverted users can look at cells growing in cell culture dishes. This makes the scope well suited for time-lapse microscopy. The microscope is equipped with an Eppendorf micro injector system.

3. Zeiss LSM Confocal
The confocal microscope uses lasers to excite fluorescent markers. The scope is best used with material that is greater than 1 cell thick. The scope is used to create 3 and 4 dimensional images with multiple fluorescence labels.

4. Deconvolution Microscope - Metamorph
The deconvolution microscope is used for creating high resolution 3 and 4 dimensional images of material less than a cell thick . The power in this type of microscopy comes from the computing software. The image is created by combining the optical properties of the microscope and the computing ability of computers. The facility is currently looking to upgrade our system.

5. Philips transmission electron microscope EM410.
TEM is used for looking at internal cellular structures at very high resolution. The experimenter can examine the affects of varying conditions on intracellular organization. We also have the ability to localize antibodies on the EM level.

6. SEM JEOL 5600LV
Scanning electron microscopy is used for looking at the surface of different materials or organisms at high magnification and resolution. For example we can look at the details of a fruit fly's eye, or the intricate organization of a yeast colony.

In addition to the microscopes the facility has available an Eppendorf micro injector system , as well as sectioning equipment. The facility recently purchased a Leica cryostat for cutting thick frozen sections. Also included is a Leica ultra microtome equipped with a cryo stage as well as a Reichert ultra microtome for cutting ultra thin plastic sections. The facility has available to trained users a Tousimis critical point dryer, and a Hummer sputter coater.