Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Electron and Confocal Microscopy Laboratory
Introduction to the Laboratory
Light microscopy is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of disease in the pathology laboratory. There are times, however, when the diagnostic features of a disease are beyond the limits of resolution of traditional light microscopy. The Electron and Confocal Microscopy Laboratory, located with the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, offers a variety of services that go beyond the limits of light microscopy, including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy and volume analysis.Electron Microscopy
The Electron and Confocal Microscopy Laboratory is equipped with a Hitachi H-600 transmission electron microscope. Transmission Electron Microscopy allows for high resolution ultrastructural analysis of ultrathin sections of biological specimens. The faculty director of the electron microscopy facility is Dr. Tito Cavallo, M.D. The professional staff consists of Richard Montione, B.S., E.M.T., and Laura Engelman, B.S.Confocal Microscopy and Image Analysis
Sometimes it is helpful to be able to see optical sections through an entire specimen. The Electron and Confocal Microscopy Laboratory is equipped with a Leica laser scanning confocal microscope that allows the user to optically section through a specimen from top to bottom. Both upright and inverted microscopes are available. Each has the capacity to collect simultaneously data from up to three fluophores plus a transmitted light image. The laboratory is also equipped to do three-dimensional reconstructions and volume analysis of confocally scanned images using Vital Images' Voxel View software on a Silicon Graphics platform. The laboratory has added an ONCOR image analysis system to its list of state of the art imaging tools. This system includes extensive deconvolution protocols and programs for analysis of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) data. The faculty advisor for the confocal microscopy services is Sue Heffelfinger, M.D., Ph.D. The professional staff consists of Richard Montione, B.S., E.M.T., and Laura Engelman, B.S.[ The Web at UC | UC Home ]