Division of Biology and Medicine
BioMed Core Facilities

Bioimaging Facility

The Leduc Bioimaging Facility provides equipment and training dedicated to high-resolution imaging in the life sciences.

About

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The Leduc Bioimaging Facility, open to all investigators, provides equipment and training dedicated to high-resolution imaging in the life sciences. The facility includes a Transmission Electron Microscope, a Scanning Electron Microscope, four Fluorescence Microscopes, a Fluorescence Stereomicroscope, an automated Slide Scanner, a spinning disk High-Content Screening System, four Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopes, a Multiphoton Microscope, and software for image analysis. The facility also maintains equipment for sample preparation, including a critical point dryer, sputter coater, and microtomes for ultrathin sectioning.

The Bioimaging Facility is a Service Center in the Division of Biology and Medicine and provides microscopes and supporting equipment in Sidney Frank Hall for Life Sciences and the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine.

Learn more about the history of the facility below.

History

The Bioimaging Facility is listed within CoresRI.org, a searchable directory of core facilities in Rhode Island.

CORESRI logo with text that says "a searchable directory of core research facilities, services and instrumentation in Rhode Island"

Services and Instruments

Microscopes in Sidney Frank Hall for Life Sciences

185 Meeting Street: Rooms 105, 106, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117

BMC: Rooms 005

Microscopes in Laboratories for Molecular Medicine

70 Ship Street: Rooms 111, 133

Service Request and Reservations

Covid Policy

Masks must be worn at all times in all the rooms with no exception.

 

Microscopes in the Bioimaging Facility can be reserved using iLab calendars.  All facility users are invited to use the system, which requires a one-time registration.

To register for an iLab account:

1. Go to our facility's iLab site: ILabs
https://brown.ilab.agilent.com/service_center/show_external/5278/bioimaging_facility
2. In the upper-right-hand corner of the screen click ‘Sign In,’ and select to sign in using Brown University credentials 
3. You will be directed to an authentication page where you will enter your Brown University credentials
4. Once you have entered your credentials, click the ‘Login’ button
5. You will be directed to an iLab Registration page where you will select your PI/Lab and verify your contact information. 
6. Once your registration has been submitted, your PI will receive a notification that you have requested membership to their lab in iLab.  They will need to approve your membership.
7. Your training status needs to be updated.  This is done on a rolling basis by Eric Olson (Eric_Olson@brown.edu) and Sandra Van Wagoner (sandra_van_wagoner@brown.edu).   Alternatively, you can email Geoffrey_Williams@brown.edu or Robbert_Creton@brown.edu asking for an update of the training status in iLab, listing the microscopes that you have been trained on in the Bioimaging Facility. 

To Create an Equipment Reservation:

When registration is completed (including step 6-7), you can schedule equipment using the iLab calendars.
1. Navigate to the core page: ILabs Bioimaging
    https://brown.ilab.agilent.com/service_center/show_external/5278/bioimaging_facility 
2. In the upper-right-hand corner of the screen click ‘Sign In,’ and select to sign in using Brown University credentials
3. You will be directed to an authentication page where you will enter your Brown University credentials
4. Once you have entered your credentials, click the ‘Login’ button
5. Select the Schedule Equipment tab and click on the ‘View Schedule’ button next to the instrument of interest. Click and drag on the time frame you would like to schedule your reservation for.
6. A window will pop up that will allow you to verify your reservations details and provide payment information before saving the reservation.

When it is time to use the microscope

1.  Open iLab and select 'Go to Kiosk'
2.  Start end End microscope session (Start is needed to run the microscope) 

Additional help

More detailed instructions can be found on the Help Site by clicking on the “HELP” link in the upper right hand corner. For any questions not addressed in the Help site, click on the “HELP” link in the upper right hand corner and submit a ticket, or email ilab-support@agilent.com.

Rates

FY24 Rates

Service Units Internal Academic Rates* External Academic Rates
Confocal
Olympus FV3000 Confocal Microscope Hours $45 $72
Zeiss LSM 800 Confocal Hours $45 $71
Zeiss LSM 880 Confocal (LMM) Hours $45 $72
Multiphoton
Olympus FV-1000-MPE Multiphoton Microscope Hours $56 $90
Fluorescence
Nikon Ti2-E High-Content Analysis Fluorescence Microscope (LMM) Hours $24 $38
Nikon Ti2-E Widefield Fluorescence Microscope (BMC) Hours $22 $35
Zeiss Axiovert 200M Fluorescence Microscope (LMM) Hours $25 $39
Zeiss Axiovert 200M Fluorescence Microscope (BMC) Hours $25 $39
Electron Microscopy
Apreo VS SEM - (First 4 Hours) Hours $56 $90
Apreo VS SEM - (Additional Hours) Hours $15 $24
Philips 410 TEM Hours $55 $88
Slide Scanner
Olympus VS200 Slide Scanner  Hours $33 $52
High Content
Opera Phenix High-Content Screening System Hours $64 $101
Sample Prep
Ultra-microtome Hours $37 $59
Critical Point Dryer Hours $13 $21
Sputter Coater Hours $21 $34
Diamond Knife Hours $22 $36
Pelco Biowave Hours $115 $183
Technical Assistance
Technical Assistance Hours $45  
Training Session $274 $437

*Rates for Brown and Rhode Island Academic and Hospital Affiliates

Effective 1/1/2024

 

Contacts/Location

Microscopist/Facility Manager

Facility Director

The Bioimaging Facility maintains microscopes at the following two locations

The Bioimaging Facility at Sidney Frank Hall
Room 106, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117
185 Meeting Street
Providence, RI 02912

The Bioimaging Facility at the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine
Room 111, 133
70 Ship Street
Providence, RI 02903

Access & Training

The facility largely operates on a self-service model: students, staff and faculty are trained on a specific microscope and can then use the microscope independently. Full-service assistance in microscopy is available. The facility provides training in microscopy, image analysis, and ultrathin sectioning. If you'd like to use one of the microscopes in the facility, you must first schedule training, before signing up on the microscope. 

To schedule a training or request assistance in imaging please contact Geoff Williams.  

To request assistance in sample preparation (e.g. fixation, mounting, sectioning, staining, immunolabeling) and imaging, please contact the Molecular Pathology Core.

Resources for Grants

This facility has two separate building locations, one of them being at the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine and one at the Sidney Frank Hall for Life Sciences. The facility has a PhD-level director and an MS-level microscopist manager. Instrumentation includes a Thermo Apreo Volume Scope (VS) SEM for serial block-face imaging, a Philips 410 transmission electron microscope with a goniometer stage, low-dose imaging equipment, and ATM digital imaging system. The facility also houses an FV1000 Olympus multiphoton laser scanning microscope, an Olympus FV3000 confocal imaging microscope, Zeiss LSM880, LSM800, and LSM710 confocal laser scanning microscopes, two Nikon Ti2-E high-content analysis fluorescence microscopes, two Zeiss Axiovert 200M fluorescence microscopes with DIC, phase contrast, and a stage heater for live imaging, a Zeiss Lumar fluorescence stereomicroscope, and an Olympus VS200 Research Slide Scanner. The facility provides operational oversight of the Opera Phenix high content screening system in the Center for Alternatives in Animal Testing at the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine. The facility also maintains equipment for sample preparation, including a critical point dryer, sputter coater, glow discharge unit, and a Leica EM UC7 ultrathin microtome. MetaMorph software is available for image analysis. Training in microscopy, image analysis, and ultrathin sectioning is provided at both sites.

What are rigor and reproducibility?

Scientific reproducibility is enhanced through scientific rigor and transparency.  Scientific rigor is the strict application of the scientific method to ensure unbiased and well-controlled experimental design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. The Bioimaging Core is committed to supporting research excellence by adopting the following practices of scientific rigor.

  • Purchase and maintain a variety of high-quality instruments from established vendors such that the best instrument is available for any given research analysis.
  • The equipment is overseen by highly trained microscopy experts and well maintained under service contracts or funds budgeted for annual preventive maintenance and repairs.
  • The microscopy experts are available for experimental design consults or troubleshooting.
  • All microscope users are thoroughly trained by the expert staff, one on one,  and not granted access to the instruments until they are deemed to be suitably trained.
  • All newly trained users are also required to use the microscopes during daytime hours to increase interaction with the expert staff members.

 

NIH Rigor and Reproducibility

Acknowledgment

This facility was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Brown University's Division of Biology and Medicine and Provost's office.

* Please acknowledge NIH support.  E.g. in publications that made use of the SEM:  The Thermo Apreo VS SEM was purchased with a high-end instrumentation grant from the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (S10OD023461). 

The Zeiss 710 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope was purchased with a high-end instrumentation grant from the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (S10RR023693).