Specialized Services

• Routine TEM and SEM sample preparation of tissues and cells for morphologic interpretation.
• Biofilm Analysis using SEM and TEM Imaging.
• Detection of antigen/antibody reactions with Immunoelectron Microscopy embedding of cells or tissue for either pre-embedding or post-embedding labeling of the antigen/antibody complex using biotin-HRP, or gold conjugated markers to precisely localize antigens in a subcellular compartment or organelles.
• Organelle Subcellular fraction identification of RER, SER, Golgi, mitochondria, peroxisomes, melanosomes and/or immunolabeling of organelles using a pelleting/embedding technique.
• Morphometric analysis of various subcellular structures, such as muscle fibers, viral particles, bacteria, collagen and amyloid fibrils. Nanoparticles are measured for size verification and quality control of those projects involving Nanotoxicology/Nanotechnology.
• Nanoparticle Identification Using Darkfield STEM is a contrast mode allowing positioning of a fine probe of high energy electrons over a thin section on a grid. This causes an "edge effect" and nanoparticles appear as bright objects against the "darkfield” making it extremely useful for localization of very small (<20nm) “suspect” nanoparticles translocated into cells or tissue.
• Elemental Analysis using EDS, an attached detector cooled with liquid nitrogen and used in biological studies to provide exact elemental identification or confirmation of above mentioned “suspect” nanoparticles identified visually by Brightfield TEM or detected using Darkfield STEM.
• Cell Culture “Pop-off” technique to remove and examine ultrastructurally cells grown on glass slides or coverslips. An additional “Pop-off” technique involves the removal of  a rare cell(s) from a 2-micron epoxy section adhered to a glass slide previously made only for light microscopy.
• Viral Negative staining using phosphotungstic acid or uranyl acetate to identify viral particles or viral-like particles (VLPs) placed onto formvar coated grids.
• Color Hi-Res Plastic Sections, Spurr epoxy resin one micron sections are stained sequentially with methylene blue and basic fuchsin.