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School of the Biological Sciences

woman looking working with microscope

Imaging Facilities in the School of Biological Sciences provide cutting-edge microscopy and image analysis services to support interdisciplinary research across the School and beyond.

Our Imaging Facilities cover a wide range of techniques and services, including light-microscopy, electron microscopy, live imaging and data analysis, complemented by expert advice and support from our highly experienced staff.

School-based Facilities open to all include:

 

Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) Facility at the Department of Biochemistry


Equipment and services:

  • Titan Krios 300 kV electron microscope
  • Talos Arctica 200 kV electron microscope
  • Vitrobot grids preparation

Location

The facility is based in the Department of Biochemistry (see map)


Contact

Cryo-EM Facility Manager: Dima Chirgadze

Email: Dima Chirgadze


Access and Training

The Cryo-EM facility is open to all members of the University, external academic institutions and industry. In house training is provided.


More information and booking

 

Imaging Facility at the Gurdon Institute


Equipment and services:

  • Light microscopy
  • Confocal microscopy
  • LightSheet Microscopy
  • Sample preparation advice

Location

The facility is based in the Gurdon Institute (see map)


Contact

Facility Manager: Alex Sossick

Deputy Facility Manager: Nicola Lawrence

Email: imaging-team@gurdon.cam.ac.uk


Access and Training

The facility is open to all members of the University. In house training is provided.


More information and booking

 

Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience


Equipment and services:

  • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Electron microscopy
  • Super-resolution
  • Photomanipulation
  • Confocal microscopy
  • Light sheet microscopy
  • Two-photon microscopy
  • Live imaging

Location

The facility is based in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (see map)


Contact

Director: Kevin O'Holleran


Access and Training

The facility is open to all members of the University, external academic institutions and industry. In house training is provided.


More information and booking

 

Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory at the Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience


Equipment and Services

This facility hosts the University's new 9.4T high-field MRI scanner, capable of the latest imaging techniques, including:

  • high-resolution structural imaging (in vivo and ex vivo)
  • diffusion tensor imaging / DTI
  • functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
  • spectroscopy (with 1H, 31P and 13C)
  • relaxometry (T1, T2, T2* mapping)
  • myelin imaging with multi-parametric mapping
  • angiography
  • cardiovascular imaging

Location

This facility is based in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (Charles Babbage Road, West Cambridge Site).


Contact

Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory Manager and MR physicist: Dr Stephen Sawiak (sjs80@cam.ac.uk)


Access and Training

The facility is open to all members of the University. Please contact Dr Stephen Sawiak for more information.

 

Imaging Facility at the Sainsbury Laboratory


Equipment and services:

  • Confocal and Fluorescence Microscopy
  • Light sheet microscopy for live plant imaging.
  • Cryo-Scanning Electron Microscopy (CryoSEM)
  • Raman Microscopy
  • Lithography and bespoke microfluidics
  • Large area digital imaging and light microscopy.
  • Stereomicroscopy
  • Atomic Force Microscopy

Location

The facility is based in the Sainsbury Laboratory (see map)


Contact

Facility Manager: Ray Wightman.


Access and Training

The facility is open to all members of the University. In house training is provided.


More information and booking

 

Advanced Imaging Facility at the Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute


Equipment and services:

  • Confocal microscopy
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Transmission electron microscopy with elemental detector and serial blockface reconstruction
  • Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)
  • Airyscan superresolution imaging
  • Spinning Disk
  • Two-photon microscopy
  • Live-cell imaging
  • Widefield Microscopy

Location

The facility is based in the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (see map)


Contact

Facility Manager: Darran Clements

Email: imaging@stemcells.cam.ac.uk


Access and Training

The facility is open to all members of the University. In house training is provided.


More information and booking

 

Cellular Imaging and Analysis Facility at the Department of Veterinary Medicine


Equipment and services:

  • Zeiss LSM780 Confocal Microscope 
  • CyAn ADP 9 Colour Analyser
  • Imagestream Mark I Imaging Flow Cytometer

Location

The facility is based in the Department of Veterinary Medicine (see map)


Contact

Imaging Facility Manager: Rachel Hewitt

Email: microscopy@vet.cam.ac.uk


Access and Training

The Imaging facility is open to all members of the University, external academic institutions and industry. In house training is provided.

More information and booking

 

Cambridge Biotomography Centre at the Department of Zoology


Services:

  • MicroCT Scanning
  • 3D rendering

Location

The facility is based in the Department of Zoology (see map)


Contact

Facility Chair: Jason Head

Facility co-Chair: Daniel Field

Email: cbc@zoo.cam.ac.uk


Access

The facility is open to all members of the University and external users.


More information and booking