The Advanced Microscopy Facility was established in 1979 and has, since the first Cancer Center Support Grant to the University of Virginia in 1987, provided Cancer Center investigators with unique access to instrumentation and services for critical investigations regarding the cause, spread, and treatment of cancer Access to cutting edge microscopy equipment at the AMF has allowed Cancer Center members specifically to elucidate the role of PK1 in cytokinesis, to identify a role for the tumor suppressor APC in mRNA localization, to further define the role of SCAMPS in regulation of cell proliferation, and to identify some of the factors involved in the organization and orientation of epithelial cells, all of which are critical cell functions that play pivotal roles in the development and spread of cancer. The facility, which is both a full-service and a user-facility, has been expanded from primarily an electron microscopy center to encompass a full range of light and electron microscopy technologies. This expansion includes the acquisition of four confocal microscopes and one transmission electron microscope, and relocation of the facility to renovated quarters, doubling the previous laboratory space. The primary objective of the facility is to provide investigators access to, and assistance with, state-of-the art confocal and electron microscopes, preparatory equipment, and applications. An ongoing emphasis of this Shared Resource is to provide facilities for the manipulation and imaging of live cells, and to track the dynamics of fluorophores in cells under physiological conditions. Within this overall framework, related objectives include: (1) providing consultation on research objectives which employ electron and light microscopy methods;(2) assuring that up-to-date equipment is available and properly maintained for use by investigators;(3) providing complete electron microscopy specimen preparation services;(4) educating and training clients in the use of equipment or specialized techniques;and (5) monitoring developments in the field of microscopy that might be incorporated into the services offered by the facility.
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