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School of the Biological Sciences

woman looking working with microscope

Our Microscopy Bioscience Platform provides cutting-edge microscopy resources in the School of Biological Sciences, including light-microscopy, electron microscopy, live imaging and data analysis, complemented by expert advice and support from our highly experienced staff.

 

Additional Microscopy units based in the School are listed below:

 

Pathogen Cryo-Imaging Facility in Cambridge (PaCIFiC)


Equipment:

The Facility houses a Leica EM GP2 for vitrifying (plunge-freezing) samples on grids, a Leica STELLARIS 5 cryo-confocal microscope, and a Glow Discharge Cleaning System optimized for cleaning TEM cryo grids, in addition to facilities for biological sample preparation (cell culture and infection with hazard group 2 pathogens).


Location

The Facility is located in the Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QP.


Contact

PaCIFiC is in the final stages of commissioning and will soon be fully operational.

Researchers interested in using cryo-imaging techniques are encouraged to get in touch with the PaCIFiC microscopy manager Dr. Luay Joudeh (lj360@cam.ac.uk) or with the directors, Professor Colin Crump (cmc56@cam.ac.uk) and Professor Stephen Graham (scg34@cam.ac.uk) to discuss their projects and access requirements.

For general enquiries, please contact: pacific@path.cam.ac.uk


Access and Training

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


More information and booking

 

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

 

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.

 

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