Biological Imaging Core Facility
Viewed with a confocal microscope, the retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) from a bovine (cow) eye display tight packing reminiscent of a honeycomb. Actin, a cytoskeletal protein found in the junctions between neighboring cells is labeled with a red fluorescent probe. Some RPE cells in this image have been transfected with a virus, causing them to express high levels of green fluorescent protein (GFP). GFP, originally isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, has become a valuable tool for scientists studying protein expression in living cells and animals. (Image courtesy of Dr. Enrique Rodriguez Boulan, Cornell University and Dr. Robert Fariss, NEI Biological Imaging Core.)
Dr. Douglas Kim uses an Olympus FV1000 confocal/ multi-photon microscope in the National Eye Institute's Biological Imaging Core to study cellular processes in the retina associated with development and ocular disease.
Mouse stem cells undergo differentiation in culture, exhibiting neuronal characteristics. (Image courtesy of Drs. Lijin Dong, Pinghu Liu and Chun Gao, National Eye Institute.)
The rod and cone photoreceptors are highly specialized sensory neurons that rely on close association with neighboring cell types, like the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In this confocal image, cell nuclei are labeled with a red fluorescent probe, photoreceptor outer segments appear bright green and structures containing the cytoskeletal protein actin appear blue.
This is a confocal microscope image of rod and cone photoreceptors cells in human retina. Rhodopsin, the photosensitive pigment in rod photoreceptors, has been labeled with a green fluorescent probe. The highest concentration of rhodopsin is located in the row of cylindrical rod outer segments at the top of the image. Cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells are labeled with a red fluorescent probe showing the location of the calcium binding protein calbindin.
Core Chief: Robert N. Fariss, Ph.D.
Building 6, room 202
6 Center Drive, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0606
Phone (301) 496-2829
FAX (301) 480-7939
Background
High resolution fluorescence imaging of ocular tissues presents unique opportunities as well as technical challenges for scientists attempting to visualize pathological changes in the cornea, lens, retina or retinal pigment epithelium. Exploiting the transparency of the vertebrate eye and innovations in ocular imaging, vision researchers and ophthalmologist have gained unprecedented insight into a wide array of ocular processes.
Mission Statement
The National Eye Institute's Biological Imaging Core provides NEI scientists with a wide range of high resolution imaging and analysis applications including confocal microscopy, multi-photon imaging, total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF) imaging, laser capture microdissection, in vivo and in vitro imaging. The primary objective of the Biological Imaging Core is to pair state-of-the-art instrumentation with novel imaging approaches to provide vision scientists new avenues for studying ocular disease processes.
Facilities and Equipment
- Olympus FV1000 Confocal/ Multi-photon Microscope System
- Leica SP2 Confocal Microscope System
- Zeiss PALM Laser Capture Microdissection System
- Zeiss Total Internal Reflectance Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscope System
- Phoenix Labs Micron II Rodent Fundus Imaging System
Services
- Sample preparation for high resolution fluorescence imaging
- Guidance in refining in vivo and in vitro imaging of ocular tissues
- Training in image analysis and quantification
- Rodent fundus imaging
Staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Robert N. Fariss, Ph.D. | Chief | farissr@nei.nih.gov |
| Maria M. Campos, M.D. | Staff Scientist | camposm@nei.nih.gov |
| Chun Y. Gao, M.D., Ph.D. | Staff Scientist | gaoc@nei.nih.gov |
Last Reviewed: March 2011
