Analytical Imaging Facility Shared Resource
The AIF Shared Resource offers a broad spectrum of sample preparation and imaging technologies to MECC investigators, for both experimental and clinical samples. The AIF Shared Resource provides a comprehensive, expert, and cost-effective histology and histochemistry service, including tissue fixation and processing, paraffin and frozen embedding and sectioning, standard and specialized histochemical stains, enzyme histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence. In addition, this shared resource supports translational studies and has a designated microtome for cutting fresh-frozen human samples for research, as well a high-throughput automated slide stainer for uniform processing and staining of patient samples from clinical cohorts. Analysis and digital quantitation of histology slides is possible using a high-speed, high-capacity automatic slide scanner. Imaging services include brightfield, epi-fluorescence, confocal, multiphoton, super-resolution (STORM & SIM), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM & SEM), cryoTEM, cryoSEM, electron tomography, correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), and quantitative image analysis. Finally, the AIF Shared Resource provides in vivo MRI, CT, PET, and SPECT analysis of tissue metabolism, oxidative changes, and tumor dissemination which are scalable from mouse models to humans.