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Microscopy Shared Resource

Mission

The VCU Microscopy Facility is housed within the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and is directed by a senior faculty member, who is an acknowledged expert in multiple aspects of modern imaging. 

The facility provides researchers with the equipment and expertise required to examine subcellular details at high resolution by both light and electron microscopy and to perform quantitative image analysis. Staff is available for consultation, instruction, assistance and collaboration.

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Services

Massey members pay 75 percent of these rates per the member subsidy program.

 

Facility use

To use the Microscopy Facility, investigators must be trained by one of the facility staff and must submit a VCU Microscopy Facility Use Authorization form [PDF]. Training sessions are arranged by contacting the facility director, tytus.bernas@vcuhealth.org by e-mail or by phone at 804-828-0949.

Signup for Equipment reservations using the VCU Resource Scheduler. Signup Instructions are available if you need assistance using the VCU CORES resource scheduler.

Microscopy Facility Rules

 

Facility Fees

Below are the rates for VCU investigators.

EQUIPMENTSERVICE
FEES
Transmission Electron Microscopy

Processing: Plastic embedding of tissue, pellets
Processing: Plastic embedding of plates
Processing: Plastic embedding of vibratome sections
Sectioning: Thick sections (0.5 - 1 mm), 1 slide
Sectioning: Thin sections, 4 grids per block
Sectioning: Thin sections - formvar grids, 4 grids
Additional formvar grids, after 4
Remounting of samples
Staining of grids
Ultramicrotomy - Training session
Glass strips for knives
Ultramicrotome - unassisted use

$20/ea.
25/ea.
30/ea.
10/ea.
30/ea.
40/ea.
3/ea.
2/ea.
20
200
3.50/ea.
2.50/hr.
Scanning Electron Microscopy Tissue Processing: Critical Point Drying
HMDS
Gold coating of samples (up to 6 per run)		 30/run
15/ea.
5/ea.
Electron Microscopy
(TEM and SEM)		 Technician time
Electron Microscopes – beam time
Training		 35/hr.
40/hr.
200/session 
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Assisted use
Unassisted use (Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Unassisted use (Mon.-Fri., 6 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat.-Sun.)
Unassisted use (midnight - 8 a.m., holidays)
Training		 75/hr.
20/hr.
10/hr.
5/hr.
200/session
Multi-photon Laser Scanning Microscopy (2-Photon LSM) Assisted use
Unassisted use (Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Unassisted use (Mon.-Fri., 6 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat.-Sun.)
Unassisted use (midnight - 8 a.m., holidays)
Training		 75/hr.
20/hr.
10/hr.
5/hr.
200/session
Structured Illuminatino Microscopy Assisted use
Unassisted use (Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Unassisted use (Mon.-Fri., 6 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat.-Sun.)
Unassisted use (midnight - 8 a.m., holidays)
Training		 75/hr.
20/hr.
10/hr.
5/hr.
200/session
TIRF Microscope Assisted use
Unassisted use
Training		 75/hr.
5/hr.
100/session.
Spinning Disc Confocal Microscopy Assisted use
Unassisted use
Training		 75/hr.
5/hr.
100/session.
Neurolucida system Assisted use
Unassisted use
Training		 45/hr.
5/hr.
5/hr.
Widefield Microscopy Assisted use
Unassisted use
Training		 45/hr.
5/hr.
5/hr.
Stereology system Assisted use
Unassisted use
Training		 45/hr.
5/hr.
5/hr.
Fluorescence stereoscope Assisted use
Unassisted use
Training		 45/hr.
5/hr.
5/hr.
Microdissection system Assisted use
Unassisted use
Training		 45/hr.
5/hr.
5/hr.
Cryostat & Vibratome Unassisted use
Assisted use 		 2.50/hr.
25/hr. 

 

Contact information<

VCU Microscopy Facility 
Department of Anatomy and Neurology
VCU School of Medicine 
1101 East Marshall Street
Box 980709
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0709
Phone: (804) 828-0949

For those who wish to use the facility but have not been instructed in the use of the equipment, training sessions are arranged by contacting the facility director at extension (804) 828-0949 or by e-mailing tytus.bernas@vcuhealth.org. Advice is available on a number of microscopy techniques including immunocytochemistry, live cell imaging, FRET, FRAP, and image analysis.

 

Microscopy Facility Personnel

Tytus Bernas, Ph.D.
Facility director
(804) 828-0949
tytus.bernas@vcuhealth.org

Judy Williamson

Electron Microscopy
(804) 828-9648
judy.williamson@vcuhealth.org

Frances White
Light Microscopy
(804) 828-9366
frances.white@vcuhealth.org

Holly Carlson
Electron Microscopy
(804) 827-2141
holly.carlson@vcuhealth.org

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Resources

Software resources

Microscopy-related resources

  

Citation

All publications that include results, services or products generated by VCU Massey Cancer Center Shared Resources must include the following acknowledgement in the manuscript:

"Services and products in support of the research project were generated by the Microscopy Shared Resource, supported, in part, with funding from NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA016059."

PubMed Central (PMC) ID numbers are required for those publications that use CCSG-supported shared resources. All of Massey Cancer Center's shared resources are supported by the CCSG. Information to assist you with this process can be found here.