The Facility Core's leadership draws from over 80 years of experience in microscopy and microscopic techniques. We strive to assist Center investigators to perform high quality research that makes the best use of microscopic and digital imaging techniques.
How can we help you?
We are available to help SWEHSC investigators with experimental design and troubleshooting of protocols. We can help your lab work through quality control issues in the service labs and provide technical support for the instruments that are affiliated with the Resource.
We provide hands-on training in a variety of techniques, and for a number of instruments. For example, if your lab needs to learn more about immunostaining, digital imaging, image analysis, or confocal microscopy, contact the Resource. See our training opportunities web page for more details.
The Resource has been involved with the development of techniques for toxicology-related research. We can also assist your lab in the development of a technique that you've discovered in the scientific literature. For more information, please contact us.
After your experiment has been completed, the Resource can assist your lab with the analysis of the results. We have extensive experience in the interpretation of data generated by microscopes.
This RESOURCE is very different. Why?
Early on we realized that there simply were not enough funds, nor was there strong enough investigator need, to allow us to operate our own microscopy facilities. Instead we opted to support and encourage the use of the existing campus microscopy-related facilities. To SWEHSC investigators and their labs we provide an additional level of personalized service and support that is typically not available to regular users of these facilities.
This means that while SWEHSC investigators pay the fees for the services provided by the campus microscopy-related facilities (operated by RII, UACC, COM), the additional personalized technical support available from the Cellular Imaging Resource is paid for by the center grant. For investigators that do not have experience with microscopy, this support can assure successful experiments and possibly reduce the cost of the experiments through wise use of the campus microscopy-related facilities. (Please note: the UA has funded a subsidy account to reduce costs for SWEHSC members)