Expertise
Imaging Platforms
Keywords - Light Microscopy: Superresolution microscopy, Laser microdissection, Live cell imaging, Frequency-domain FLIM, Confocal microscopy, Widefield microscopy, TIRF, Multi-photon microscopy, FCS/FCCS, Structured Illumination Microscopy
High content
Keywords - Electron Microscopy: Scanning EM (FEG), Focused Ion Beam SEM, Scanning Transmission EM
The BI Imaging Facility has a wide variety of imaging platforms. These are high-specification commercial systems that have been configured to accommodate a broad range of applications with both fixed and live specimens. Systems include point-scanning confocal (Leica Stellaris 8, Nikon A1-R, Zeiss 780), spinning disk confocal (Olympus SpinSR), multi-photon (Zeiss LSM-7 with Coherent Chameleon Vision+MPX), TIRF (Nikon), wide-field (Nikon, Olympus and Incucyte), High/Ultra-High Content (Molecular Devices HT.ai and Miltenyi MACSima), Super Resolution (Nikon N-SIM/N-STORM) and laser micro-dissection (Zeiss MicroBeam). To complement fluorescence imaging capabilities, the Facility has a Zeiss CrossBeam 550 FIB SEM which offers various modalities for electron microscopy, including high resolution volumetric EM.
Applications
Keywords – Biological: Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, C.elegans, Histology/Pathology, Neurobiology, Immunobiology
The BI Imaging Facility has evolved to cater for the Institute's changing research needs, which currently focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying developmental and ageing processes. BI research is diverse, but grouped into the three main areas of signalling, epigenetics and immunology. The Imaging Facility accommodates a wide variety of applications within these areas and our equipment has been specified with flexibility in mind.
Sample Preparation
Keywords - Biological: Resin embedding, Cryosectioning, Metal coating, Immunofluorescence, Vibrating microtome, Ultrathin sectioning, Immunolabelling, Negative stain, Photoconversion, Cryostat sectioning, Live cell
Keywords - Materials: Focused ion beam (Gallium)
The Imaging Facility at Babraham has a limited sample preparation capability, although we can offer advice on what would be appropriate for use with our imaging systems.
Data Analysis
Keywords - Software: ImageJ, Imaris, Huygens, Fiji, Volocity
The BI Imaging Facility offers advice and services for image processing and analysis, including image analysis pipeline development. The Facility has a number of high specification PCs available for image processing, quantification and presentation. Training on a variety of different software packages is available on request.
Shared Access
External users are welcome with access typically charged at an hourly rate (please contact the Facility for details). Institute users will get priority access to equipment.
Funding
The equipment in the BI Imaging Facility has been funded by the BBSRC. Operating the Facility and maintaining the equipment requires an annual budget which is funded through hourly charges. Please contact the Facility to find out what the current hourly rates.