Research at Fox Chase »Research Facilities »BioImaging

Tim J. Yen, PhD Director

Reimann Building, Room 310 215-728-2590 Timothy.Yen@fccc.edu

The BioImaging Facilities provide three separate services to users who are interested in:

1. High Resolution Light Microscopy;
2. Electron Microscopy;
3. Small Animal Imaging.

All three facilities provide state-of-the-art technologies as well as technical expertise to assist end users with diverse research needs.

Light Microscopy Facility
This is a hands-on facility that allows users to examine specimens with high resolution fluorescence, phase and DIC microscopy. Our equipment includes high resolution epifluorescence as well as a multi-wavelength spectral confocal microscopes.

Applications include phase and fluorescence time-lapse videomicroscopy to follow the fates of cells and subcellular organelles with high spatial and temporal resolution. The facility also has dissecting microscope with epifluorescence optics for histological studies. More

Electron Microscopy Facility
This Facility provides users with ultrastructural analysis of biological samples ranging from purified nucleic acids and proteins to subcellular organelles, whole cells and organs or organisms. Due to the highly specialized nature of the sample preparation for EM, it usually functions as a full service facility.

The equipment available includes Tecnai 12 BioTwin transmission EM and ETEC scanning EM. The facility is also equipped with auxiliary equipment for sample preparation including microtomes, evaporators and a low-temperature embedding apparatus. More

Small Animal Imaging Facility
The Small Animal Imaging component of the bio-imaging facility gives investigators access to systems for magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and bioluminescence imaging, and endoscopic examinations. MRI provides users with the capability of non-invasive measurements of tumor volume, while more sophisticated experiments involve measurements of tumor perfusion based on contrast agent kinetics. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is performed on tumor bearing animals that have been transfected with luciferase (firefly or renilla) or a fluorescent protein. Up to five mice can be imaged simultaneously in our BLI system in order to detect tumors and follow tumor growth with high throughput. Finally, tumors in the mouse colon can be imaged directly with a unique endoscopy system. More