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Instruments

Leica AFS Automatic Freeze Substitution Apparatus

Can be used post high pressure freezing to replace water at very low temperatures, -90°C, with Acetone and allow samples to be fixed around -25°C and then warm to room temperature.

  • fee per 2-3 day run
  • minimum reservation 24 hrs
  • reservations need CSIF approval and chemicals included in fee

Reserve this instrument

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


Pelco BioWave Pro Microwave Oven

  • The power output (wattage) of the microwave can be varied/applied continuously from 100 to 750W
  • True Power(TM) is not pulsed or % power as described for other microwave devices
  • Low power (<200W) does not damage living tissues
  • Promotes diffusion with negligible sample heating

Reserve this instrument

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


JEOL HTR High Tilt tomography holder

This sample holder allows for tilting +70 to -70 degrees using SerialEM: a program created at the Boulder Laboratory For 3-D Electron Microscopy of Cells. The images are then opened in IMOD.

IMOD is a set of image processing, modeling and display programs used for tomographic reconstruction and for 3D reconstruction of EM serial sections and optical sections. The package contains tools for assembling and aligning data within multiple types and sizes of image stacks, viewing 3-D data from any orientation, and modeling and displaying the image files. IMOD was developed primarily by David Mastronarde, Rick Gaudette, Sue Held, Jim Kremer, Quanren Xiong, and John Heumann at the University of Colorado.

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


Fischione 2040 Dual-Axis Tomography Holder

Features an optimal tilt angle range in narrow gap (~5 mm) pole-piece geometries, while maintaining microscope resolution. A fully jeweled mechanism provides ultra-precise, in-plane specimen rotation while maintaining eucentricity.

Initially, the specimen can be fully rotated through 360º to orient either the grid bars or a specimen feature to the alpha tilt axis. Once the specimen is properly oriented, the first tilt series is acquired. A two-position precision indexing mechanism provides 90º in-plane rotation. These features greatly facilitate the acquisition of a dual-axis tilt series using SerialEM application for acquisition. Acquired images can then be opened using IMOD.

IMOD can then create a three-dimensional tomogram.

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


Leica ICE High-Pressure Freezer

The Leica EM ICE HPF can freeze samples 100 to 200nm thick by 1.5mm in diameter. It can also accommodate 1.2mm round sapphire cover-glass on which cells can be grown. (Leica 100nm specimen carriers as well as sapphire discs as well as other HPF supplies are available at cost)

Reserve this instrument

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


Leica UCT Ultramicrotome

Obtain ultrathin sections for imaging on the TEM, SEM, or light microscope from 50nm to 200nm or semi-thin sections between 250-1000nm. You must be trained by CSIF staff before using the ultramicrotome.

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Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


Leica FCS Cryo-Ultramicrotome

Enables trained users to section at liquid nitrogen temperatures through cryo-fixed and vitreous frozen samples for imaging with Cryo-EM and for elemental microanalysis. The device is also suitable for sectioning samples at ambient temperature. The thickness of sections can be adjusted from a few nanometers up to several micrometers.

Reserve this instrument

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


Denton Sputter Coater

  • Charged per run
  • Gold/Palladium Coating

The Denton Desk II sputtering unit is equipped for Gold/Palladium coating and includes a thickness monitor. The specimen chamber can accommodate ten 15mm (circular) SEM stubs at a time. Ease of application and reliable performance make the instrument valuable for use by students from all disciplines.

Reserve this instrument

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001


Denton Vacuum Evaporator

  • Charged per run
  • Carbon and/or Platinum Coating
  • Glow discharge with or w/o Argon
  • Rotating and tilting substrate stage

The Denton Vacuum Bench Top Turbo (BTT) is a fast, clean, high vacuum benchtop evaporator with a simple automated operation for evaporation or sputtering. It utilizes solid control electronics to control the pump-down and venting sequences. The pumping package consists of a turbomolecular as well as a mechanical pump. It has a 1kv evaporation power supply for carbon coating and 4000 volt AC glow, as well as a sputtering module for depositing noble metal. Also, a rotating and tilting substrate table is included.

Options:

  1. AC glow discharge: All materials exposed to our atmosphere tend to accumulate molecular layers of oil and water on the surface. These few molecular layers cause the surface to repel water. Carbon films so contaminated will cause aqueous solutions to bead rather than to spread over the surface. Contaminated grids will not pick up replicas readily. The AC glow discharge will clean the carbon support films and grids in vacuum of the molecular layers of oil and water.
  2. Carbon evaporation source: The carbon evaporation source is adjustable and is designed to proved carbon films for support, replication or conduction. Rods 0.04mm (D) are evaporated for 30sec to 2 minutes

Reserve this instrument

Location: Beckman Center, Room B001