Imaging Core

The Imaging Core provides faculty and students the opportunity image live, fixed, unlabeled or fluorescently labeled samples using one of several available microscopes.

• Our Zeiss LSM 510 Confocal Microscope system is capable of detecting many standard fluorophores, including CFP, fluorescein, GFP, rhodamine, Texas Red, RFP, CY5 and several of the AlexaFluor dyes. Suitable applications include colocalization studies, immunofluorescence, FRAP and time courses. A separate workstation with a copy of the Zeiss LSM software is available for image analysis and processing.



• The Leica SP5 X Confocal Microscope is the newest addition to the Imaging Core. The microscope is equipped with several laser lines, including an Argon (458, 476, 488, 498, 514nm), 405 diode and white light laser (470-670nm), an automated x-y scanning stage, z-galvo stage and resonant (high speed) scanner. Suitable applications include live cell imaging studies, FRAP, FRET, time courses, colocalization and spectral unmixing.



• The DeltaVision Deconvolution microscope is designed to acquire and deconvolve images of fluorescently labeled specimens. The excitation source is a mercury lamp and fluorescent filter pairs include DAPI, fluorescein and rhodamine. Click here for an MS Word document containing additional information regarding this microscope.



• Additional available microscopes include a Zeiss AxioPhot fluorescence microscope equipped with a CoolSNAP EZ CCD camera and Nikon's Elements software, an Olympus fluorescence microscope with standard rhodamine and fluorescein filters and a Leica dissecting microscope.

Short Course in Practical Light Microscopy

Periodically, the Imaging Core offers a short non-credit course in Practical Light Microscopy. The class is free to students at UMD but is limited to 6 participants. Basic optical theory is discussed and each student has access to their own. The presentation slides for the course are available here (full slides) and here (notes page). Please contact the facility manager (Amy Beaven) if you are interested in taking the course.

Rate Schedules for All Microscopes

The Imaging Core Rate Schedule applies to all trained, eligible users and is current for the 2008/2009 Academic Year. Rates are adjusted each year depending on usage. Fees are used to help cover the cost of the service contract on the microscope, which is partially subsidized by the department, and help pay for materials such as lens paper, lens cleaning solution and mercury bulbs.

Contact Information:

Amy Beaven
Manager
Core Laboratory Facility
0107 Microbiology Building
University of Maryland
abeaven@umd.edu
301-405-7238