The Rieder Lab: Studies on Mitosis and the Cell Cycle
The Nifty Tools We Use
Neat, new laser microsurgery/optical trapping system. Its based on an inverted Nikon Diaphot DIC light microscope and two YAG lasers. We use it to slice and dice chromosomes in living cells.
For a complete description of this sytem see Cole et al. (1995) A Differetial Interference Contrast-Based Light Microscope System for Laser Microsurgery and Optical Trapping of selected Chromosomes During Mitosis In Vivo. Journal of Microsc. Soc. Amer.,1 :203-215
Modern 400 kV Intermediate Voltage EM with computer controlled tomographic capabilities. We've been using it recently to generate high resolution 3-D tomographic reconstructions of kinetochores and centrosomes.
see e.g.,
Khodjakov, A., et al. 1997. Chromosomes fragments possessing only one kinetochore can congress to the spindle equator. J. Cell Biol. 136: 229-241
Vogel, J.M. T.Sterns, C.L. Rieder and R.E. Palazzo. 1997. Centrosomes isolated from Spisula solidissima oocytes contain rings and an unusual stoichiometric ratio of alph-beta tublin. J .Cell Biol. 137: in press
A high-voltage EM (one of two in the Nation). Used to look at very thick sections and is also capable of recording tomographic series.
see e.g., :
McEwen, B.F., et al. 1993. 3-D ultrastructure of the colcemid-treated kinetochore outer plate as determined by HVEM tomography. J. Cell Bio.120:301-312