The Neuroscience Microscopy Facility is supported by the UT Southwestern Department of Neuroscience and the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

Resources

The Neuroscience Department provides basic resources and instrumentation for morphology, imaging, and sample preparation for neuroscience research. This includes widefield and laser scanning confocal microscopes, florescent stereomicroscopes, cryostats, ultramicrotomes, a vibroslicer, image analysis workstations, and NAS image servers.

We offer training for these departmental instruments to new authorized users. After training, each user gains access to the OCF scheduler and instruments.

It usually takes 2 hours for training on each instrument. Users’ own samples are used for training to obtain optimal light-path settings. If you wish to use our departmental imaging resources, please contact the Director, Dr. Shin Yamazaki, Associate Professor, via shin.yamazaki@utsouthwestern.edu. Consultations for neuroscience imaging are also offered.

Real-time gene reporting

We also specialize in real-time, long-term gene expression imaging using luminescence/florescence reporters in cell/tissue culture. Our group has pioneered the use of firefly luciferase to continuously monitor circadian gene expression in cultured tissues and cells for days to months.

We welcome collaborations, consultation, and training for luminescence imaging for laboratories.

We provide:

• Consultation for designing and building bioluminescence imaging apparatus
• Consultation for choosing the appropriate reporter for the experimental design
• Training and troubleshooting tissue and cell culture for live cell time-lapse imaging
• Consultation for optimum culture and recording conditions for various luminescence/florescence reporter genes

Additional Resources

UT Southwestern provides numerous imaging resources through core facilities.

• Quantitative Light Microscopy Core Facility
• Whole Brain Microscopy Facility
• Electron Microscopy Core Facility