The Integrated Microscopy Facility (IMF) functions as a supervised, user-based Core providing state-of-the-art microscopy imaging capabilities to University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) members and other University investigators. Light microscopy is an essential technology for cancer investigators. Modern microscopy enables observation of ever-finer detail, now breaking the optical diffraction barrier to yield super-resolution detail, thus providing information at scales ranging from tens of millimeters to less than 10 nanometers. The IMF offers all major wide-field and confocal techniques in addition to super- resolution technologies (e.g., stimulated emission depletion (STED), localization, structured light), and works to advance these methodologies for application to cancer research. Specific IMF developments in the current funding period include significant upgrades to microscope technologies and data analysis tools. Notably, these include installation of GSD super-resolution, a Lightsheet.z1 system, a SP8 white-light-laser spectral confocal, additional high-end workstations and upgrade to full-feature Imaris software. IMF staff additionally provides equipment maintenance, user training, and expert advice. Budgets reflect strictly a cost-recovery operation, with all services provided ?at-cost?. As an integrated Core, IMF allows for efficient pooling of resources and management, while creating a large user base that aids in leveraging support from the University as well as other agencies and keeping costs low. Half of the IMF usage is associated with research conducted by UCCCC members. Specifically, UCCCC labs are major users of the IMF; for any given service that approaches capacity usage, every effort is made to ensure priority access for UCCCC investigators. Institutional support mechanisms significantly enhance UCCCC research efforts within the IMF. The Biological Science Division (BSD) invested $1,001,408 in the Core in 2016 alone to purchase equipment requested by UCCCC members. The Core supported the work of 99 UCCCC investigators in the current funding period (2013-2016), which included 647 individual users of IMF services.
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