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Welcome to Neuroscience Imaging

The Neuroscience Imaging Center within the Neuroscience Institute/Center of Excellence, located on the 3rd floor of the Link Building at 855 Monroe, offers use of equipment and technical services in the areas of transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, 3-dimensional neuron tracing and mapping, conventional light microscopy applications and tissue preparation to all investigators in the medical and research fields in the mid-south area. The JEOL 2000EX transmission electron microscope normally runs at 60kV, but can run up to 200kV to examine semi-thin sections. It is equipped with a highresolution monitor and Hamamatsu Orca HR digital camera, providing portable, digital images at high resolution, in several formats, obviating the need for film and darkroom work. The MicrobrightField, Inc. Neurolucida software allows 3D reconstruction of neurons, serial reconstruction of brain sections, and precise cell plotting of histological or vibrotomed serial sections, using a motorized stage with X, Y and Z encoders. The BioRad MRC 1024 confocal imaging system is equipped with a Krypton/Argon laser, creating three excitation lines co-aligned at 488 nm (blue), 568 nm (green), and 647 nm (far red), enabling the user to effectively employ double or triple labeling techniques, and with appropriate barrier filters, can minimize bleed-through. Reflected light and transmitted light image capture is also available. Image files can be saved to CDs for portability. This system uses the upright Olympus BX50 with objective lenses ranging from 2x to 100x, and a 20x water immersion lens. Technical assistance is available with over 35 years experience in light and transmission electron microscopy. This lab can process many types of tissue, tissue slices, tissue cultures, and pellets, embedding in Spurr’s resin, Epon, or Epon/Araldite blends, as well as LRWhite, utilizing a variety of embedment methods, such as Beem or gelatin capsules, flat molds, and flat embedment of tissue slices. Negative staining can be done as well.