The newly opened image core facility will feature a wide spectrum of microscopy equipment with technical assistance both in sample preparation and image acquisition. The core facility consists of two parts: the Electron Microscopy Unit housed in the Electron Microscopy Suite on the 2nd floor of the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and a Light Microscopy Unit that will include confocal fluorescence microscopes coming at a future date.

The EM lab started its operation in March 1996. The Lab is equipped with two Philips Transmission Electron Microscopes, CM12 and CM200/FEG, a microdesitometer and an optical diffraction bench, a Denton Vacuum bench top vacuum sputtering system, and other EM-related devices/tools.

The highly educated and experienced electron microscopy staff will provide the instruction, consultation, assistance and collaboration for the research involving electron microscopy. The current services include sample preparation, ultramicrotomy, negative staining, and immuno-gold electron microscopy. Trained and experienced users are permitted to use the facility following a fee-per-service basis.

If you are interested in analysis your tissue at ultrastructure level, please contact with the facility director for the further information:

Alice Liang, Ph.D.
Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine
NYU School of Medicine
540 First Avenue, 2nd Floor, EM Suite
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-263-7644 (o); 212 263-7099 (lab)
liang@saturn.med.nyu.edu

EM Gold-labeling of Vasa protein in early Drosophila embryos. In Drosophila, Vasa protein is localized to polar granules, organelles found only in germ plasm of early cleavage embryos. Vasa protein is required for polar granule assembly as well as for germ cell formation. The picture was captured with Gatan digital camera of CM-12 transmission electron microscope. Alice Liang, in collaboration with Ruth Lehmann (NYU School of Medicine).