Electron Microscopy
The Electron Microscopy facility assists staff scientists when ultrastructural studies are necessary. TheCore's staff maintains all equipment in working order, trains personnel in the use of equipment and in bothgeneral and specific microscopy techniques. The staff also participates in collaborative research and pilotstudies for grant applications.
This Core offers a service of immunolabeling of chemically fixed, cryo-fixed or cryosections (Tokoyasumethod) for the cellular localization of antigens at the electron microscopic level. Applications involving high resolution 3D reconstruction of single particles, electron crystallography, electron tomography or 3Dcontouring from sections or stereo images can be accommodated through the Center's NIH supportedResource for the Visualization of Biological Complexity (RVBC).
Double immunogold labelling indicates the external (single arrows) and specific internal locations (double arrows) of diagnostically important antigens of Rickettsia.
Research facilitated by the Core includes but is not limited to microbial pathogenesis (sexually transmitted diseases, Lyme disease, viral, fungal and bacterial infections), neurological problems, autosomal recessive skin disease, cancer, and a variety of environmental health problems. In addition, the Core provides diagnostic services for the Virology, Bacteriology and Mycology laboratories.
Core users have access to two conventional transmission electron microscopes, one scanning microscope, an analytical STEM (with X-ray energy dispersive detector), and both an intermediate (400 keV) and a high voltage (1.2 MeV) transmission electron microscope.
Other major support equipment includes standard and cryo-capable ultra-microtomes, vacuum evaporators a sputter-coater, ion-beam coater, freeze drier, and both a high-pressure freezing device and a cryo-substitution apparatus to be used for the optimization of both cellular structure and antigenic preservation.
Equipment available:
- Philips 420 high-resolution cryomicroscope with one CCD camera
- Zeiss EM 910 low-dose, high-resolution cryomicroscope with CCD camera
- 1.2 MeV AEI EM7 high voltage electron microscope
- JEOL JEM-4000 FX intermediate voltage electron microscope
- LEO 1550 Variable Pressure FEG SEM with PGT X-Ray analyzer
- Hitachi H-7000 TEM/STEM microscope with EDS X-Ray analyzer
- BalTec HPM 010 High Pressure Freezing Device
- Reichert Ultracut E and RMC MT-X ultra microtome
For further information contact: Interim Co-Directors
Dr. Michael Koonce and Dr. Terry Wagenknecht
Empire State Plaza