The ABL includes 1,340 square feet of optical engineering and imaging space, a 500 square foot room dedicated to the magnetic resonance imaging, 460 square feet of spectroscopic and chemical tissue characterization area with chemical hoods and a wet-bench, 160 square feet photopathology area and 480 square feet of office space. The laboratory is well-furnished with state-of-the-art optical and NMR spectroscopic and imaging equipment. The ABL is also equipped with several high-performance in-house built instruments including two in vivo multimodal confocal microscopes specifically designed for small animal and human imaging, and an in vivo polarization-enhanced reflectance and fluorescence imager.
Imaging and spectroscopy unit houses a number of lasers and instruments including eight CW diode lasers covering the spectral range from 402 nm to 830 nm, 2 He-Ne lasers, three Xe-arc, two halogen and one metal halide lamp sources. Ophir Nova, Ophir Nova II power meters and beam profilers can be utilized for monitoring light source power output and spatial beam properties. Several spectrophotometers including Perkin-Elmer Lambda 1050, InGaAs and Si Grating Ocean Optics spectrophotometer with integrating sphere and accessories, as well as Horiba FluoroMax-4 Spectrofluorometer with temperature control and mixer with accessories for measuring fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy of solid and liquid samples are available. The unit is furnished with several high-performance in-house built instruments including two in vivo multi-modal confocal microscopes specifically designed for small animal and human imaging, an in vivo polarization-enhanced reflectance and fluorescence imager, a wide-field high-resolution optical imager and Niumag Meso-MRI imaging system. Fully functional compressed nitrogen supply for air-floating optical tables, as well as exhaust connections for xenon arc lamp sources are also available in the lab.
The imaging and spectroscopy unit in ABL is equipped with the following instrumentation:
Perkin-Elmer Lambda 1050, InGaAs and Si Grating Ocean Optics spectrophotometer with integrating sphere and accessories
Horiba FluoroMax-4 Spectrofluorometer with temperature control and mixer with accessories for measuring fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy of solid and liquid samples
A number of lasers and optical instruments including eight CW diode lasers (402 nm to 830 nm), He-Ne lasers and a mode-locked titanium: sapphire laser.
Niumag Meso-MRI imager.
Two in-house built multi-modal (reflectance, fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy) confocal microscopes.
In-house built wide-field high-resolution multi-modal optical imager
In-house built polarization enhanced reflectance and fluorescence imager
Custom integrating sphere VIS-NIR spectrophotometer system
Photopathology unit is operative within the ABL. The unit is equipped with a Thermo Fisher 956624DH cryostat for processing frozen sections and Microm HM 355S microtome for processing permanent sections, and a Thermo Scientific Lab Vision system for processing and detecting immunohistochemistry. For sample storage and preparation there is a Thermo Fisher Heratherm Lab Oven, refrigerator and freezer. The lab is equipped with a B1000200 automated 12 station linear stainer, exhaust fume hood, Zeiss AxioScope A1 microscope with X-Cite fluorescence accessory, and AxioCam MRC5 camera, for viewing and digitizing processed histology.
The photopathology unit at ABL is equipped with the following instrumentation:
Thermo Fisher Scientific 956624DH cryostat
Microm HM 355S microtome
Thermo Scientific Lab Vision system
Thermo Fisher Heratherm Lab Oven
General Electric Undercounter Refrigerator/Freezer unit
Zeiss AxioScope A1 with X-Cite fluorescence accessory and AxioCam MRC5 camera
IN1420 high resolution camera
B1000200 automated linear stainer
Chemical hood and supplies for processing sample histology
Live-tissue handling facility is located adjacent to the imaging / spectroscopy and photopathology areas. It includes safety locking cabinets for sharps/chemicals, storage cabinets, sink and wet bench. The facility has a SterilchemGuard Class II, Type B2 100% Total Exhaust Biological Safety Cabinet, certified up to biosafety level 4, cell viability Zeiss Primovert microscope with AxioCam ERc 5s camera, as well as a satellite chemical and biological waste accumulation area. An Electric Pressure Steam Sterilizer and multiple high precision electronic balances and micropipettes are available for preparing various solutions. The facility is also equipped with light, temperature and humidity monitors.
The live-tissue handling facility in ABL is equipped with the following instrumentation:
SterilchemGuard Class II, Type B2 100% Total Exhaust Biological Safety Cabinet
Electric Pressure Steam Sterilizer
High precision electronic balances and micropipettes
Temperature, humidity and light sensors
Cell viability microscope is the Zeiss PrimoVert with Zeiss Axiocam ERc 5s
