Summary
The WCM CLC Imaging Core Facility provides state-of-the-art instruments and services, and expertise in their applications, to the Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) community and to outside investigators. Resources and services include confocal microscopy, wide field fluorescence microscopy, multiphoton microscopy, high content screening, electron microscopy, histology services (paraffin and cryo sample preparation), phosphorimaging, and X-ray film processing. The facility provides consultation on project design and image visualization and analysis, and offers seminars, training and educational workshops.
Services
Wide Field Fluorescence Microscopy: Zeiss AxioObserver (inverted) and Zeiss AxioPlan (upright). Features include: multiple wavelength fluorescence and transmitted light imaging; imaging of cell cultures and tissue sections; tile scanning; basic filter cubes (blue, cyan, green, red, far red); 5x – 63x objectives; CCD camera.
Confocal Microscopy: Zeiss LSM 880 and Zeiss LSM 880 + AiryScan. Features include: multiple wavelength imaging of thick samples; imaging of fixed and live cells, tissue, and 3D cultures; super-resolution (32-element Airyscan detector); spectral imaging (32-channel GaAsP array); “filterless” acquisition (custom emission bandwidths); tile scanning; complex time lapse experiments. Laser excitations: 405, 458, 488, 514, 561, 594, 633 nm. Objectives: 10x, 25x, 40x, 63x, 100x (all but 10x are oil immersion; all DIC for simultaneous transmitted light imaging).
Multiphoton Microscopy: Olympus FluoView FV1000MPE with Mai Tai DeepSee laser. Features include: fluorescence, autofluorescence and second harmonic imaging of cells, 3D cultures and thick tissues; intravital imaging (mice/rats); inhalation anesthesia equipment; oxygen supply; heated stage and circulating-water heating blankets; excitation laser tunable between 690 - 1040 nm; simultaneous detection of up to 4 signals; additional 405 nm laser (for uncaging and photoactivation). Objectives include standard ones, plus low-power large field-of-view macro lenses: 2x and 4x. IR-transmitting, high NA water-immersion objectives: 10x/0.6NA and 25x/1.05NA. Small tip diameter microprobe objectives: 6x and 20x; tip diameter: 1.3 mm; water-immersion.
Electron Microscopy: JEOL JEM 1400 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Features include: accelerating voltage up to 120 Kv and two digital CCD cameras for rapid (2K x 2K) or high-resolution (11 Megapixel) imaging. Two ultramicrotomes for sectioning EM samples; vacuum evaporator for carbon coating; glow discharger; critical point dryer and sputter coater for SEM sample prep.
Histology Services: Tissue embedding, sectioning, and staining. Features include: Hacker-Bright OTC cryostat; two Leica RM2155 rotary microtomes; two TissueTek VIP150 paraffin tissue processors.
High Content Screening: ImageXpress Micro Imager. Features include: automated fluorescence imaging of fixed- or live-cells; inverted wide-field fluorescence microscope designed for rapidly imaging cells in multi-well plates; compatible with 6, 24, 96, 384 and 1536-well plates; high-speed laser autofocus allows for imaging of up to 100 plates/day; imaging of up to 5 different wavelengths from UV to near IR; long working-distance objectives from 2X to 60X; unattended screening of up to 45 plates/run; MetaXpress software and MDCStore integrated database with >5TB of ITS supported server space for images. Automated sample prep facilitated by two MultiDrop384 Dispensers and a BioTek Plate Washer.
Phosphorimaging: GE Typhoon Trio PhosphorImager. Applications include acquiring images of 1D or 2D gels, blots, tissue sections, etc. using either storage phosphor screens, chemiluminescence or specific fluorescent stains excited by red (633 nm), green (532 nm) or blue (488 or 457 nm) light. Protein or nucleic acid determination can also be done in microtiter plates when stained with appropriate fluorescent dyes. Data can be quantitated using available ImageQuant software.
X-ray film processing: Two Konica SRX-101 X-ray film processors.
Image Visualization and Image Analysis: Available software: MetaMorph, ImageJ/Fiji, Zeiss Zen, Imaris Autoquant Image Deconvolution; MetaXpress.
Resources
Optical microscopy: Three confocal microscopes (Zeiss LSM 880; Zeiss LSM 880 + Airy Scan with 32-channel GaSP array for spectral imaging and incubation chamber for long-term live cell imaging; Leica SP5), multiphoton microscope (Olympus FluoView FV1000MPE, with auxiliary mouse pulse oximeter, anesthesia and euthanasia equipment), Zeiss AxioObserver inverted microscope, Zeiss AxioPlan upright microscope, dissection stereomicroscope (Olympus SZX16).
High content screening: ImageXpress MICRO High Content Analysis Imager, Thermo CataLyst Express Robotic Plate Loader, two MultiDrop384 Dispensers, BioTek ELx405 Microplate Washer.
Electron microscopy: Electron microscope (JEOL JEM 1400 TEM with 2 cooled Olympus-SIS CCD cameras, 2K x 2K Veleta and 11 Megapixel Quemesa), two ultramicrotomes (Leica Ultracut S, Leica UltraCutT), Electron Microscopy Science Vacuum Evaporator, Pella EasiGlow glow discharge unit, Electron Microscopy Sciences Critical Point Dryer, Pelco 91000 Sputtering Unit.
Histology: Two TissueTek VIP paraffin tissue processors & embedding station, two Leica RM2155 rotary microtomes, Hacker-Bright OTC cryostat.
X-ray film developing: Two Konica SRX-101 X-ray film processors.
Phosphorimaging: GE Triad Typhoon laser scanner.
Image analysis: 4 image analysis workstations.
More Information
Publications
Contact Us:
Lee Cohen-Gould, M.S., CEMT
Director of Optical Microscopy, Electron Microscopy & Histology Services
WCM CLC Imaging Core Facility
(212) 746-6146
lcgould@med.cornell.edu
Sushmita Mukherjee, Ph.D.
Director of Multiphoton Microscopy & Image Analysis Services
WCM CLC Imaging Core Facility
(212) 746-6495
smukherj@med.cornell.edu
H. Skip Ralph, MPA
Director of High Content Screening Services
WCM CLC Imaging Core Facility
(212) 746-6480
har2001@med.cornell.edu
For more information about services and pricing, to register as a user of the core, to submit samples, to schedule time on the instruments, and/or to arrange for training, please go to the WCM iLab portal at http://wcmc.corefacilities.org.
For more information about the Microscopy and Imaging Core, please visit the Microscopy and Imaging Analysis Core Website