This facility is supported and funded by the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program, Division of Research
Infrastructure, National Center for Research Resources, and the National Institutes of Health,

Director Dr. Lloyd Williams Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Office: 826B in the Hunter North Building Phone: (212) 650 3872 Fax: (212) 650 3565	Assistant Zhong wang Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Office: 826C in the Hunter North Building Phone: (212) 396 6284 Fax: (212) 650 3565
Faculty Oversite Prof. Jason Dictenberg Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Faculty Oversite Prof. Diana Bratu Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Description of the Facility
Background & Overview
The Bio-Imaging facility is located in room 826 of the North Building of Hunter College. The facility currently provides optical and video microscopy services.The facility is equiped with two spinning disk confocal miroscopes, a Leica TCS SP2, and a Perkin Elmer  UltraVIEW ERS Spinning Disc confocal . In addtion to confocal microscopy the facility is also equipped for bright field, phase contrast, modulation contrast and epi fluorescence microscopy. The facility has two separate wide field image analysis stations. A Nikon Optiphot microscope equipped with a color video system and Compix imaging software, and a Nikon Eclipse TE200 inverted scope. This inverted scope in specially configured to perform calcium ratio imaging is equipped with Molecular Devices Meta Fluor software The facility has recently eapanded with the aquisition of a JEOL JEM-100C/CX Transmission Electron Microscope. The facility also is equiped with Typhoon 9410 scannerfor the quantitation and localization of sub cellular fluorescent and radioactive molecules. In addition a Densitometer allows for the analysis of 1 and 2 D gels, Southern, northern and western blots and RFPL gels. The facility is also equipped with color and B&W  laser printers for the production of publication quality graphics. and presentation materials. Detailed desciptions of the facilities equipment is given below.

Instruments

	Compix Color Image Analysis System The Compix Imaging system consists of a Nikon Optiphot 2 upright microscope, and Nikon DXM 1200F high resolution (3,840 x 3,072 pixels) color video camera. The microscope is equipped for fluorescence, and has phase contrast and Nomarski optics. The system is interfaced to a 1.4Ghz PC which utilizes Compix Simple PCI image analysis software. The system also has Adobe Photoshop install for image acquisition and manipulation Rate: The facility charges $5:00 per hour to use this system
	Gemini EM microplate spectrofluorometer The Molecular Devices SpectraMax Gemini EM microplate spectrofluorometer features top and bottom reading optics, dual monochromators, wavelength scanning, well scanning, auto PMT gain and is driven by Softmax Pro software on a Windows-based controller
	Molecular Dynamics Typhoon 9410 Typhoon™ is a highly sensitive variable-mode gel imager. The Typhoon 9410 unites the ability to detect an extensive variety of fluors, with proven storage phosphor autoradiography technology and direct imaging of chemiluminescence. The typhoon can also be used to analyze micro-arrays.
	Perkin Elmer UltraView ERS The Ultraview is a spinning disk confocal microscope equipped with six laser lines, which allow visualization of GFP, RFP, CY5, DAPI, CFP and YFP, etc. The UltraVIEW ERS system allows for high-speed, multiple-probe, time-lapse experiments; fully automated image capture; time-lapse morphometric measurements; fast sequential image capture of multiple probes; and fast z-stack acquisition. UltraVIEW ERS Imaging Suite software and Volocity are used for fast image display, image acquisition and comprehensive image analysis. The system is supported by a Nikon Eclipse TE2000 inverted fluorescence microscope with environmental incubator which is ideal for live cell applications.
	JEOL JEM-100C/CX Transmission Electron Microscope JEOL JEM-100CX II transmission electron microscope is an advanced high performance electron microscope with stable and excellent imaging capabilities at low to high magnifications (90X to 800, 000X). A 10M-pixel HAMAMASTU C4742-95 digital camera is integrated to the system for high-resolution image acquisition.
	Desktop Publishing and Presentation Tools The Imaging Facility desktop publishing station has a Adobe Photoshop and PageMaker and Microsoft PowerPoint for creating high quality graphics. A Polaroid Pro Palette 8000 slide maker, and HP Color LaserJet 3800. There is a per page charge for the printers, the other facilities are free.
	PowerWave HT Microplate Spectrophotometer PowerWave HT is a multi-channel reader for maximum speed in both 96- and 384-well plate formats. The PowerWave HT provides flexibility for multiple applications, including endpoint, kinetic and spectral scanning mode. Powerful Gen5™ PC-based software is used for system control and data analysis.
	Leica Confocal Microscope TCS SP2 The TCS SP2 Laser Scanning Spectral Confocal Microscope can do measurements of transmitted light, fluorescence and laser scanning fluorescence imaging. It has a z-stage with rotation capabilities, with z-resolution of 40 nm. The system has high quality X10, X40, X63 and X100 objectives, and 6 excitation laser lines at wavelenghts of 458nm - 638 nm. Cost to use this instrument is $15/hr
	Calcium Ratio & Micro Injection Inverted Scope The calcium ratio imaging system consists of: a Nikon Eclipse TE 200 inverted epifluorescence microscope, sutter lambda 10-2 optical filter system, and Molecular Devices imaging software Metafluor. The system also is equiped with a Narishige micromanipulator system
	Molecular Dynamics Personal Densitometer SI The Molecular Dynamics Personal Densitometer SI uses a laser scanner with pinpoint accuracy to quantify stained electrophoresis gels, autoradiographic films and blotting membranes. It is interfaced to a 450 MHz Pentium III Dell computer, for subsequent data analysis, using Molecular Dynamics Image Quant Image Analysis software.

Rules of operations
Guidelines For using The Facility
A. The facility is open for use by members of the Gene Center, other CUNY departments, and outside parties with the prior arrangement of the staff of the Bio-Imaging facility
B. Your use of the facility will be recorded. For the optical microscopes and the Gel and Blot scanners you must obtain a "Gene Center" computer account. This is required to log on to the computers that control the equipment. Your use of the machine will then be automatically logged and you will be charged according to the fee schedule below.
C. The facility is available for use 7 X 24. After normal working hours ( 9 -5 Mon –Fri ) lock the door when you leave, and access using a key obtained from the facility.
D. Training is required before using all machines. This can be done by individually with the facility manager, or by experienced users in the various gene center laboratories. For the two confocals you must be trained by the facility managers. Once you have complete the traing course your account will be activated for the confocal.
E. If you encounter problems with the facility E-mail the facility director Lloyd Williams at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,  or his assistant Zhong Wang  at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
F. Do not wear latex gloves in the facility
G. Do not leave your samples in the facility
H. Turn off all microscope lamps after use. It is particularly important to turn off the mercury lamps. Once mercury lamps have been turned off do not turn them back on until they have cooled down for 15 mins
I. Report mercury lamps in service for more than 300 hours
J. Equipment is available on a first come first serve basis. However you can book 2 hours slots on the microscopes using the calendars on the door of the microscope room 826 B. If you come 30 minutes late you will loose your reservation
K. Clean oil off the microscope objective lenses after use.
L. Report all accidents (injuries, spills, fires) to the Security (x4444) and Health and Safety Officer, Ricarod Franco (x4462)
M You must log in to use the equipment using your own Gene Center account.
N Publications using data taken in this facility must acknowlege the RCMI program and the NCRR.

Fee Schedule
PerkinElmer Spinning Disk Microscope: The facility charges $20 per hour for use of this microscope. There is a $20 minimum charge, and fractions of an hour count as whole hours. For long time duration experiment, we have a special rate policy described as follows: in any 24 hour period
0 – 4 hours $20/hour
4 – 10 hours $10/hour
10 – 24 hours $5/hour
Email Zhong Wang ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) in advance for applying this policy.

Leica Sp2 Confocal: The facility charges $15 per hour for use of the confocal. There is a $15 minimum charge, and fractions of an hour count as whole hours.

Nikon Upright & Inverted Microscopes: The facility charges $5 per hour for use of the microscope. There is a $5 minimum charge, and fractions of an hour count as whole hours. Please sign the log books.

Gemini Spectrophotometer, Typhoon 9410 Imager: The facility charges $5 per scan. Use is monitored by the event log on the computer attached to the machines.

Densitometer, PowerWave HT Plate Reader: The facility charges $3 per scan. Use is monitored by the event log on the computer attached to the machines.

Volocity Analysis Workstation: The facility charges $10 per hour for use of this image analysis package. There is a $10 minimum charge, and fractions of an hour count as whole hours.

Printing: Inkjet usage is charged at 15 ¢/per page, color laser prints at 15 ¢/per page, black and white laser prints at 7 ¢/per page. Usage is monitored automatically by Print Manager Plus application.

Website:
Biology Department