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University of Connecticut Health Center - Know Better Care Richard D. Berlin
Center for Cell Analysis & Modeling

CCAM Microscopy Facility

Policies

The following information applies to the microscopes CCAM currently houses: the Zeiss Axioplan 2 imaging wide-field fluorescence microscope, Zeiss TIRF system, the Zeiss LSM 510, Zeiss LSM 510 Meta, the Zeiss Confocors 2 and 3, and the Zeiss LSM 780. Please read the additional User Policy notes, found below, for the Zeiss Confocor 2 and the 780 microscope systems. Individuals who are interested in using any of the microscopes may do so either on a service work basis or you may be trained to use the microscope set-up on your own.

Service Work

A member of the CCAM staff will assist you in using the microscope for image acquisition. There is an hourly fee charged for this service, please see the fee schedule for the current rates.

Microscope Training

A member of the CCAM staff will train you on a microscope such that you become competent to work independently. Once you are trained to use the microscope independently, you may sign up for the scope during work hours or for after work hours / weekend use. Please note that you must be trained for each microscope separately. Please contact CCAM Staff at 860-679-4686 for service work and training sessions.

Billing

CCAM utilizes the UCHC Research Store application for all billing. To use the microscopes, you must be authorized by the system to charge to an FRS account. Check with your departmental administration to get authorization with the Research Store. CCAM maintains signup calendars separate from the Research Store application that are used only to reserve microscope time. Following each session on the microscope, users are required to record their usage time with the UCHC Research Store application. USERS WHO CONSISTENTLY NEGLECT TO RECORD THEIR OWN CHARGES WITH THE RESEARCH STORE APPLICATION WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE THE INSTRUMENTS. Off-campus users should contact CCAM staff for billing procedures.

CCAM

CCAM Events Calendar

About Using This Facility

You must be an authorized user to use the microscopes independently, or you are required to have CCAM staff assistance.

Contact

Facility Director
Ann Cowan
acowan@nso2.uchc.edu
860-679-1449
Office: R1602

 

Facility Manager
Susan Krueger
skrueger@neuron.uchc.edu
860-679-4686
Offices: UCHC-L5081 & CGSB-R1511

General Microscope User Guidelines

Please do not sign up for more than 4 hours at one session unless you have requested additional time from either Dr. Ann Cowan 860-679-1449 or CCAM Staff 860-679-4686. Normally, additional time will be allotted for live cell experiments or for outside collaborations. You may sign up for an additional 4 hours in the same week, but you may be bumped. Please remember to sign up for required lenses and stage heaters when you sign up for microscope time. Lenses and accessories are used on multiple instruments. If you cannot keep your appointment, please delete your name from the sign up and call the person signed up before you (or CCAM Staff) to let them know that they may have additional time. Please try not to sign up for time unless you know you will use it. It is understandable that some experiments will fail or other problems might arise. However, given the high demand for these instruments, it is inconsiderate to other researchers to consistently sign up and then cancel sessions at the last minute.

Please plan ahead for microscope usage. Signup for a given day on the online microscope calendars opens 1 week in advance. If you have repeated difficulty signing up for time on any microscope, please contact Ann Cowan or CCAM Staff and we will do our best to get you access to the microscope in a reasonable time frame. After 4 pm, unless you know for certain that someone else is using the microscope, please shut down the instrument. We have had several incidences where the equipment was left running all night because a later user failed to show up. After work hours and weekend use is available for trained, competent users. Please check with CCAM Staff prior to signing up.

User Policy for the Zeiss 780 and the Zeiss Confocor 2
The 780 and Confocor 2 instruments are available to users requiring nonlinear optical microscopy (aka 2-photon imaging). 2-Photon imaging is generally utilized for deep imaging in thick specimens or when precise control of the excitation volume is required. The FCS instrument allows users to perform fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in living cells. Users who would like to make use of either NLOM or FCS are requested to discuss the project in advance with Dr. Ann Cowan(acowan@nso2.uchc.edu.) Separate training sessions are required for use of each modality; CCAM Staff (860-679-4686) will be responsible for training.