[lm-announce] Important changes to Microscopy from 1st March

Wed Feb 19 06:08:34 GMT 2014

Dear All,

The Imaging facility is pleased to announce a number of significant changes following a strategic review of the College's current and future research goals and a coordinated funding effort between LMF and our Academic Steering Group.  We are in the process of implementing these changes, the first of which will be effective from 1st March 2014.  This affects all microscope users; please take the time to read this email and contact us if you have any questions.

1)  Staff and Technology

We are pleased to announce the following appointments to Imaging:

Graeme Ball has been appointed to the new role of Image Analyst; Graeme is available to provide support, training and advice on post acquisition image analysis and image processing.  Graeme joins us from the Micron facility at University of Oxford and brings significant experience in a range of commercial and open source software analysis packages and techniques.
(Email: g.ball at dundee.ac.uk , telephone x85741)

Alan Prescott has taken a formal role in the Imaging facility, having provided high level user support in light and electron microscopy as a PI in CSI for a number of years.  Alan will be providing support predominantly in Electron Microscopy in the first instance and continues to provide training and support in a range of light microscopy techniques.
(Email: a.r.prescott at dundee.ac.uk, telephone x84884)

Alison Milne is heading our new sister imaging facility in the JWCC at Ninewells medical school and hospital.  Alison will provide training and support on the equipment within the new facility in CMDN, which includes Leica SP5 confocal microscopes, Widefield deconvolution and live cell imaging and Zeiss confocal microscopy and FLIM.  Alison's suite includes the first "In tune" white light laser installation in the UK.  Equipment in CLS and CMDN is available for use by staff from both Colleges.  Please contact Alison if you wish to use these systems.
(Email: a.m.milne at dundee.ac.uk, telephone x83458)

We have made an appointment to the role of Biophotonics Application Scientist.  Ranjeet Kumar will be joining us in early summer to support our new physics and life sciences collaboration.  I will provide more information about this partnership later in the year once Ranjeet is in post.

We are currently advertising for the role of Tissue Imaging Centre Scientific Officer; this appointment will support quantitative deep tissue imaging as part of a successful technology award to CDB, led by Kate Storey and Kees Weijer.  The award includes a new Multiphoton Microscope for multiphoton and label free imaging.  Again, I will keep you updated over the coming months.  See:  http://www.jobs.dundee.ac.uk/fe/tpl_uod01.asp?s=4A515F4E5A565B1A&jobid=84879,8723235179&key=85528416&c=211576832123&pagestamp=seqcrqirpdhrwpjghl

Following a successful application by Jason Swedlow to the MRC's Next Generation Optical Microscopy call, Markus Posch, our OMX specialist, has  now overseen the installation of the latest version of the OMX microscope – OMX blaze – which offers a range of significant advantages over our previous OMX microscope.  Markus is currently running drop in sessions, free of charge, for groups who want to see how super resolution light microscopy can benefit their research.  See: http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/cast/omx-microscopy/omx-home
(Email: m.posch at dundee.ac.uk, telephone x86414)

Martin Kierans and Calum Thomson continue to provide support and training in Electron and Light Microscopy and sample preparation for light and electron microscopy.
(Email: m.kierans at dundee.ac.uk, telephone x84741 and c.thomson at dundee.ac.uk, telephone x88755)

Following the success of GRE's Wellcome Trust Technology Platform award, we are in the process of upgrading our DeltaVision microscopes to the latest version.  This will take place from early March.  We are currently overseeing the installation of a new Nikon TIRF microscope and Zeiss MPLSM/CLSM with TCSPC FLIM.  This microscope will also have a UV laser for DNA damage and uncaging.  Expect to hear about these developments over the coming weeks.

Finally, I continue in managing the the Imaging resource - please do come and talk to me if you have any general comments, questions or concerns.  I also provide training and support across all aspects of the facility.
(Email: s.swift at dundee.ac.uk, telephone x86412)

2)  Website, Webcalendaring and raising requests for support

>From March 1st we will run booking via "Bumblebee", an improved online equipment calendaring and reporting tool. Graeme Ball is overseeing the new calendar and webtools and will contact you with further information about what is available and when these new tools will come online.

Core Technology within the College is now run through the Centre for Advanced Imaging Technology (CAST), which includes Imaging, Flow Cytometry and Proteomics.  The centre enables technology groups to better support workflows across these technologies.  Facility heads will be running a stand at the poster session at Crieff – please do take the time to come and talk to us about your research applications.  We are updating our website, as part of CAST, to provide online support and documentation.  In Imaging, this will include microscope configurations and equipment status, links to the calendar, and a new system for logging and responding to support requests. Please bookmark: http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/cast/light-and-electron-microscopy

3)  Imaging Facility relocation

The Imaging facility has taken over new space on the 1st floor of the MSI/WTB building.  The suite includes Light Microscopy, Electron Microscopy, Sample preparation and will host the new physics and life science labs.  From 1st of March, you can find us in office space in this new area.  We have posted floor plans in the corridor of the current microscope facility so that you know where to find us and at the foot of this webpage: http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/cast/light-and-electron-microscopy
Our new space backs on to the Electron Microscope facility in the former Maths department.  Over the coming 12 months we will be installing our existing and new microscopes in this area and will keep you updated throughout this process.  We will also have a meeting room and coffee area to host seminars and workshops, and to act as an informal venue for discussion with facility staff and between users.

4)  Laser Safety

There have been a number of changes to legislation concerning the safe use of lasers.  The Imaging Facility hosts a range of Class 3R, Class 3B and Class 4 lasers.  We are now required to register all users of these lasers and you will be required to do some basic laser safety training.  In the first instance, all staff wishing to book microscopes on the new calendar will be given a short document concerning the safe use of lasers and local rules.  You will be required to sign this (as proof that you have read and understood it) before being given access to the new booking calendar.  We will circulate the form to you today – it must be returned by Friday 28th February if you wish to be able to book equipment from March 1st. Class 4 laser users (this affects users of the Multiphoton microscopes only) will be required to complete more advanced safety training in the form of an online training program.  This is currently being finalised by central health and safety and we will contact our MPLSM users in the next few weeks to arrange training.  IMPORTANT – if you do not return the form you will not be able to book a microscope!

5)  User meetings

In the past we have met a group of user representatives on a quarterly basis for feedback and to discuss day to day problems with microscopes and the overall management of the facility.  We will now be opening access to these meetings to all postgraduate and postdoctoral staff who wish to attend.  We will advertise the next user meeting via lm-announce.  This is a good opportunity for you to meet with all of the Imaging staff, to discuss any queries or concerns informally, and to find out what's on the horizon in imaging.  We will also be running a range of workshops and drop in sessions once our meeting room in the new facility has been refurbished.  Again, more details will follow once we're up and running.

Please do contact us if you have any questions or concerns.  Our job is to support you; this is an exciting period of improvement and change in the provision of Imaging to University of Dundee research staff but you, the microscope user, take place of priority in all we do.  Feedback is vital to enabling us to deliver what you need and I cannot encourage you strongly enough to let us know your thoughts.

Best regards,
Sam

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Dr Sam Swift
Head of Imaging
Centre for Advanced Scientific Technologies
College of Life Sciences
University of Dundee
Dow St
Dundee
DD1 5EH

Tel: 01382 386412
Email: s.swift at dundee.ac.uk
http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/people/sam-swift
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The University of Dundee is a registered Scottish Charity, No: SC015096
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