Core Biotechnology Services

Locations

The purpose of the AIF is to provide researchers and students with advanced imaging equipment and image analysis software for their research. A modest fee is charged (were possible) for use of the facility to cover maintenance contracts and consumables. The facility is spread over several main2.jpglocations within the college.

In most cases the facility staff will train you to operate the equipment yourself. In some cases we will operate the microscope for you, for example if imaging is only required for a small number of samples. Alternatively, research collaborations are also possible. We can support with troubleshooting, give advice for experimental design, give advice for grant applications and give support and advice for image analysis.

The facility has extensive experience in the use of ImageJ/Fiji as well as commercial image processing, visualization and analysis software packages. Image analysis computers can be found in Henry Wellcome Building, Adrian Building and Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building. 

Henry Wellcome Building

Microscopes

The Henry Wellcome Building (HWB) has a light microscopy facility on the 3rd floor, room 3/51. The first three Nikon TE300 inverted fluorescence microscopes were purchased in 2001 funded by grants from the Wellcome Trust to Professor Andrew Fry and from the BBSRC to Dr. Raj Patel. With In 2009 these microscopes were upgraded with new Hamamatsu ORCA-R2 digital cameras and Volocity software funded using CIF funding from HEFCE. Two of these microscope are still in use.

In 2006 a Leica TCS SP5 confocal laser scanning microscope was added to the facility funded by a Wellcome Trust Equipment Grant to Professor Andrew Fry (lead applicant) and in 2009 a new Nikon Eclipse Ti-E microscope was purchased on a BBSRC grant from Dr. Kayoko Tanaka.

Additional imaging equipment

In 2009 the facility was awarded a CIF grant (lead applicants professor Andrew Fry and Dr. Kees Straatman) for imaging equipment. This included a BD FACSCanto™ II and a Typhoon Trio+ Imager which can be found in room 3/32. In August 2013 the FACSCanto II is moved into its own facility.

The Wolfson Foundation Light Microscopy Facility, Adrian Building

In the Adrian Building three microscopes were installed in the summer of 2007, funded by a grant from the Wolfson Foundation to Professor A. Brooks (lead applicant). The microscope facility can be found in room G1/G1a. The microscopes are an Olympus FV1000 confocal laser scanning microscope, an Olympus cell^R/scan^R combined system and a cytological/karyotyping system equipped with a digital camera and a spectral imager installed on a Olympus BX61 automated microscope. This system includes HiSKY, BandView/FISHView, CGHView, MultiSpecies, SPOTScan and RELOScan software. The stage is adapted with the ScanView Platform which can hold 8 slides.

Maurice Shock Medical Sciences Building

In the Maurice Shock Medical Sciences Building (MSB) three microscope systems were installed in early 2010. These microscopes were funded via HEFCE and are an Olympus LV200 bioluminescence imaging system and a Nikon TIRF microscope, both in room MSB388, and a Zeiss multi photon laser scanning microscope, situated in room MSB383.

Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building

Early 2010 the HEFCE funded Nikon C1Si confocal laser scanning microscope was installed in the Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building (RKCSB) at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. This site of the AIF is a small walking distance away from the main campus. The system can be found in room 422.

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