May 2004, Issue 2

The Tufts University / Tufts-New England Medical Center Imaging Facility (TNIF)

The Tufts / Tufts-NEMC Imaging Facility (TNIF), also known as the Neuroscience Imaging Facility, provides equipment and expertise for conventional fluorescence microscopy, confocal and multiphoton microscopy (including FRAP and FRET analyses), and laser capture microdissection. The TNIF is maintained cooperatively through support from the Center for Neuroscience Research (CNR), the Tufts Center for Vision Research (TCVR), and the Center for Gastroenterology Research on Absorptive and Secretory Processes (GRASP).

Located in the Arnold Building, Room109/110, the TNIF is very user-friendly. Core supervisor Rob Jackson, PhD, and day-to-day manager Russell McConnell offer advice and training on the instruments. The TNIF website also offers online sign-up sheets for three of the core's instrument systems:

(1) The Leica TCS SP2 is configured for both confocal and multiphoton microscopy, and is capable of FRET analysis with CFP/YFP or other pairs. The Leica was upgraded recently to include the acoustico-optical beam splitter (AOBS) imaging system, which provides enhanced sensitivity and better separation of multiple fluorophore emission spectra.

(2) The Arcturus PixCell IIe instrument permits laser capture microdissection. This device allows users to isolate single cells for expression analysis.

(3) The Zeiss Axiovert inverted compound microscope (located in the Jaharis Building and for the use GRASP members only) is run by technician Kathleen Riley ((617) 636-2992).

The TNIF manager, Russell McConnell, can be contacted at Russell.McConnell@tufts.edu or by phone at (617) 636-3795.

For more information on TNIF, go to http://www.neurosci.tufts.edu/Imaging.html.

For links to information about microscopy and imaging, go to http://www.neurosci.tufts.edu/Imaging-links.html.