The IMB Microscopy facility built in 2009 is a world-leading example of technology designed for discovery. It has continued to evolve, with wide-ranging light microscopy capability, employing technology that is programmed specifically for the needs of the research teams. Researchers are enabled to perform complex experiments that produce real-time microscopic insights that impact our understanding of biological processes.
The ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility is the product of 20 years of support from the ACRF, with a road map to provide emerging imaging and analysis techniques to facilitate the scientific research. In 2004, ACRF awarded $1.2 mil to purchase two Zeiss 510 confocal microscopes. In 2008, ACRF awarded $2.5 mil to purchase two Zeiss 710 confocal microscopes, one GE Deltavision microscope and high performance computing (HPC) for image analysis. Most recently in 2017, ACRF awarded $2.3 mil to the IMB Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility (CUFF) to purchase one 3i Lattice Light Sheet, one Leica Super resolution microscope and cluster computers for image analysis.
The ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility is an effective conduit for research from cancer targets to drug discovery programs and translational studies. It represents the culmination of our multidisciplinary efforts of observing phenotype from molecules in cells to complex microsystems. We now appreciate the etiology of cancer is impacted by factors not readily analysed by genomics alone, notably tumour cell heterogeneity and the impact of the microenvironment. Analyzing the behaviour of cancer cells in vitro and of tumours in situ is now made possible by recent, revolutionary and complementary advances in optical microscopy that provide the opportunity to directly assess cancer cell function at unprecedented resolution, using engineered cell systems, animal models, tumours and organs. The advanced imaging offered in the facility will help to translate research findings much more rapidly by moving seamlessly between levels of resolution, from single molecule to whole live organism.
Staff Expertise
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James Springfield
- Microscope development, hardware optimization
- Brightfield and mullti-channel fluorescence microscopy
- Confocal laser scanning microscopy
- Rapid, live-cell 3D imaging using spinning disk confocal
- 2-photon confocal imaging for tissue imaging and micro-ablation experiments
- Rapid-acquisition live imaging for intracellular processes and live embryo imaging
- High-throughput imaging and analysis of fluorescence in multi-well plates and dishes
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Nicholas Condon
- Lattice Light Sheet microscopy and image processing
- Brightfield and mullti-channel fluorescence microscopy
- Confocal laser scanning microscopy
- Rapid, live-cell 3D imaging using spinning disk confocal
- 2-photon confocal imaging for tissue imaging and micro-ablation experiments
- Rapid-acquisition live imaging for intracellular processes and live embryo imaging
- Image processing and analysis including automation in ImageJ/FIJI
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Deborah Barkauskas
- Fluorescence lifetime imaging FLIM and analysis
- Brightfield and mullti-channel fluorescence microscopy
- Confocal laser scanning microscopy
- Rapid, live-cell 3D imaging using spinning disk confocal
- 2-photon confocal imaging for intravital tissue imaging and dynamic analysis
- Image processing and analysis including automation in ImageJ/FIJI
- Image processing and analysis using Python and Matlab
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Cluster
Taking the images is only half the job. The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research has awarded a joint infrastructure grant to IMB, QBI, CMM and the RCC to purchase what will be the largest GPU cluster in Australia, if not the southern hemisphere. This cluster will allow extremely high speed image processing of the massive datasets produced by the lattice lightsheet and other imaging platforms at IMB and UQ. Processing that would normally take days will take minutes with this new hardware.
“Computing and microscopes are intimately tied – you can’t have one without the other. To keep up with the advances in laser microscopes, we also need advanced computing capability to process the data.
“The imaging from the Lattice Light Sheet allows us to collect and record an enormous amount of data – the equivalent to half the entire iTunes library per fortnight. We can look at hundreds and thousands of cells...instead of one.
“With so many examples of what cells are doing, we can harness the power of computing to analyse and build models of the data. Eventually this will replace long expensive experiments and help us to predict cell behaviour.” Professor Jenny Stow, Leader The Stow Group - Protein Trafficking and Inflammation.
External Users
We encourage external groups to use our equipment. We offer training and induction. We also have highly trained staff that can perform the imaging for you.
Given the large amount of high end systems housed and managed within the IMB Microscopy Facility, we highly encourage external users to come and use systems that may not be accessible through other sources, such as the Lattice Lightsheet, Dragonfly Spinning Disc, Leica STED Super-resolution with Falcon FLIM and others.
Hours of use for external users: Monday to Friday: 9 am to 5 pm
Charged at an hourly rate - please contact a member of the Microscopy Facility Staff to discuss further.
Contacts
Dr James Springfield
Dr Nicholas Condon
Dr Deborah Barkauskas
Dr Tevin Chau
For mail, please send to the following address:
ACRF Cancer Biology Imaging Facility
Institute for Molecular Bioscience Level 6N
306 Carmody Road Building 80
University of Queensland
4072, St Lucia,
Queensland, Australia
Facility supporters
