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Core Facilities

Cell Imaging

The LDI Cell Imaging Facility

Cell Imaging 1

Mission Statement

The LDI Cell Imaging Facility is a fee-for-service facility located on the 4th and 5th floors of the E Pavilion of the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) and on the 3rd floor of the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI). Our mission is to provide expertise in confocal, live cell, and fluorescent microscopy to the researchers of the LDI as well as external academic and industry researchers in terms of experimental design, instrumentation, training, technical assistance, and scientific guidance.

LDI Cell Imaging Facility Overview

The LDI Cell Imaging Facility provides researchers with instrumentation, scientific expertise, and guidance. Our facility consists of:

Three confocal microscopes:

  • a Quorum wave FX spinning disk (SD) confocal microscope
  • a Zeiss LSM800 laser scanning confocal microscope (LSM), with Airy
  • a Nikon AX-R laser scanning confocal microscope, with NSPARC

Two confocal systems for intravital imaging:

  • A dual upright Nikon Yokogawa CSU-X1 spinning disc and Nikon AX-R
  • An inverted Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E spinning disc

Several widefield microscopes, including a Leica DM LB2 widefield upright microscope.

One NIS and one Volocity analysis station are also available.

Instruments

Zeiss LSM800 Confocal Microscope with Airyscan

Quorum Wave FX SD confocal microscope

Dual Upright Nikon Yokogawa CSU-X1 Spinning Disc and Nikon AX-R

Inverted Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E Spinning Disc

Nikon AX-R with NSPARC

Leica DM LB2 Widefield Upright Microscope

What is it?

The Zeiss LSM800 is an inverted laser-scanning confocal microscope equipped with Airyscan, allowing for super-resolution imaging.

What can it do?

Images:

  • Tissue sections and fixed cells
  • In vitro cell samples

What samples can be brought?

BSL I samples

Customization?

Four lasers at 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, and 640nm are present, with a variable secondary dichroic allowing for imaging of any emission wavelength between 410-700nm.
Airyscan module for super-resolution imaging.

Who can run this instrument?

Technical assistance by Cell Imaging Facility staff
Trained users

How do I book this instrument?

LDI Core Booking Calendar
For training, contact the LDI Cell Imaging Facility

Click to enlarge image

Cell Imaging 2

Useful Documents:

What is it?

The Quorum Wave FX SD confocal microscope is an inverted confocal microscope using spinning disk technology, which significantly reduces photobleaching and phototoxicity.

What can it do?

Images:

  • In vitro cell samples
  • Tissue sections or fixed cell samples (ideal for dim signals)

What samples can be brought?

BSL I samples

Customization?

4 laser (405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm) for fluorescence imaging
Environmental control for live cell imaging via stage-top incubator (temperature, CO2, humidity control)

Who can run this instrument?

Technical assistance by Cell Imaging Facility Staff
Trained users

How do I book this instrument?

LDI Core Booking Calendar
For training, contact the LDI Cell Imaging Facility

Click to enlarge image

Cell Imaging 3

Useful Documents:

What is it?

Imaging platform that includes a spinning disc confocal microscope and a point-scanning confocal microscope and that is primarily designed for intravital microscopy.

What can it do?

Images:

  • Live tissues, such as lung, breast, flank, skin and the brain

  • Cleared organs

  • Tissue sections

What samples can be brought?

BSL I and BSL II samples

Customization?

The spinning disc confocal unit is equipped with 4 laser lines: 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm for 4-colour fluorescence imaging in the range of 350nm-750nm.
The point scanner is equipped with 5 laser lines (405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm and 730nm) for 5-colour fluorescence imaging (350nm-750nm).

Who can run this instrument?

Technical assistance by Cell Imaging Facility staff
Trained users

How do I book this instrument?

Contact Cell Imaging Facility staff

Click to enlarge image

Dual upright Nikon Yokogawa CSY-X1 spining disc and the Nikon AX-R_LDI

Useful Documents:

What is it?

An inverted confocal microscope is equipped with the CrestX-Light V3 Spinning Disc.

What can it do?

Images:

  • Live tissues, such as the liver, spleen and the intestine

  • In vitro cell samples

What samples can be brought?

BSL I samples
BSL II samples, coming soon!

Customization?

It has 7 laser lines: (408nm), (445nm), (473nm), (518nm), (545nm), (635nm) and (750nm) for 7 color imaging.
Dual camera for ultrahigh acquisition speed

Who can run this instrument?

Technical assistance by Cell Imaging Facility staff
Trained users

How do I book this instrument?

Contact Cell Imaging Facility staff

Click to enlarge image

Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E inverted spinning disc

Useful Documents:

What is it?

An inverted point-scanning confocal microscope equipped with an NSPARC module for super resolution imaging and a UV irradiation laser for DNA damage experiments.

What can it do?

Images:

  • Tissue sections and fixed cells

  • In vitro cell samples

  • Embryos and cleared organs

What samples can be brought?

BSL I samples
BSL II samples, coming soon!

Customization?

4 laser lines (405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm) for 4-colour fluorescence imaging. The detectors are adjustable and will permit spectral imaging
NSPARC module for super-resolution imaging
UV 355nm laser for DNA damage experiments

Who can run this instrument?

Technical assistance by Cell Imaging Facility staff
Trained users

How do I book this instrument?

LDI Core Booking Calendar
For training, contact the LDI Cell Imaging Facility

Click to enlarge image

Nikon AX-R

Useful Documents:

What is it?

The Leica DM LB2 is a widefield microscope with an upright stand. Light sources of 100W halogen lamps and 100W mercury lamps are able to perform both bright-filed and fluorescence imaging on a slide. This system is equipped with a monochrome and colour camera and is ideal for basic fluorescence imaging and immunohistochemistry studies.

Where is it?

Pavilion E, Room-5412

Objective

N Plan / 10X, Air/ 0.25 NA
HC PL Fluotar / 20X, Air/ 0.50 NA
HCX PL Fluotar / 40X, Air/ 0.75 NA/ Ph2
N Plan / 100X, Oil/ 1.25 NA

Camera:

Leica DFC 480 (Color Digital Camera)
Leica DFC 350 Fx (Monochrome Digital Camera)

Click to enlarge image

Cell Imaging 4

LDI Cell Imaging Facility Rules of Use

  1. Before being issued online booking access and using LDI Cell Imaging Facility instruments, ALL USERS MUST:
    • Be trained onsite by LDI Cell Imaging Facility staff. Users are not permitted to train other new users.
    • Duly complete and hand in a User Information Form.
    • Provide account information for billing purposes.
  2. Users can only use instruments on which they have been trained.
  3. Users will be charged for instrument login/logout time with a minimum charge of 15min for each booking.
  4. If a user does not show up for time booked and did not cancel the booking within 24 hours of the start time, they will be charged for the entire booking.
  5. After 5:00 PM, users must contact the next user. If the user cannot contact the next user, they must shut down the imaging system.
  6. If users do not show up during the first half-hour of their booking, the instrument is considered to be available for others to use. As per statement 4, you will be billed!
  7. Users will NOT be charged if the equipment is not functioning. Please inform local managers or the facility director immediately if there is a problem with the equipment.
  8. Users will have their privileges revoked temporarily or permanently for any misconduct, equipment misuse, or non-standard manipulation; at the discretion of the LDI Cell Imaging Facility staff.
  9. Booking priority will be given in the following order:
    • Local Users
    • McGill Users
    • Outside Users
  10. The facility director or local managers reserve the right to make final decisions where there is a question of user priority.
  11. The facility assumes no responsibility for data stored on the instrument computers. Data left on the computers for more than one month can be deleted without notice. NO CD-RW, DVD-RW, or USB portable drives are allowed on any acquisition computers as they can carry viruses.
  12. No third-party software, drivers, nor plugins should be installed on the computer stations without prior approval of the facility manager.
  13. When technical assistance is required, it will be by appointment only.
  14. Samples at or above biohazard Level 2 are not allowed to be run at the LDI Cell Imaging Facility.
  15. Users who use a microscope without booking it will be billed double for that session. Repeated offenses will result in the user having their privileges revoked as per statement 8.

Please acknowledge the LDI Cell Imaging Facility in any publications that include data acquired in the facility.

These rules are subject to change if deemed necessary by the LDI Cell Imaging Facility staff.

Services and Fees

The LDI core facilities uses the core scheduler accessible at https://corescheduler.ladydavis.ca/

A highly qualified LDI Cell Imaging Facility staff member can acquire and analyze your cell imaging experiments. Please contact us to make an appointment. We will assess the feasibility of your experiment and schedule your run.

 

Technical Assistance Request

 

Cell Imaging Facility ServicesMinimum Time Charged (min)Internal LDI
Rates
($/h/user)		External Academic
Rates
($/h/user)		External Commercial
Rates
($/h/user)
Confocal Imaging1025.00100.00—
Confocal Live Cell1015.00*20.00*—
Confocal with Assistance6060.00100.00200.00
Confocal Training6060.00100.00—
Volocity Software 3D/4D Image Analysis1010.0020.00—
Leica DM LB2 Widefield Upright Microscope—Free——
Zeiss Axiovert 40 CFL Widefield Inverted Microscope—Free——
Data Analysis/Consultation**3035.00——


* Live cell imaging rates applies after 4-hour initial setup at Imaging, Self operator or with assistance rates.

Contact

Marie-Lyne Fillion

Manager

514-340-8222 ext. 22003
marie-lyne.fillion@ladydavis.ca

Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Rm E-415
Jewish General Hospital
3999 Côte Ste-Catherine Road
Montreal, Qc
H3T 1E2

Liane Babes

Intravital Microscope Specialist

(514) 340-8222 ext. 25271
liane.babes@ladydavis.ca

Marc Fabian

Scientific Director