Critical to many labs within Cancer Center is the ability to examine tissues and cells at the subcellular level, to count, isolate and measure cells, and to utilize non-invasive techniques to monitor tumorigenesis in mouse models. However, individual labs can rarely afford the state-of-the-art instrumentation required for many of these studies. Based on this need, a microscope core was created in 2002 and administered through the former Laboratory Instrumentation Shared Resource (LISR). The LISR's imaging capabilities have considerably expanded over the years with the acquisition of several important pieces of equipment, including a Leica TCS SP5 laser scanning confocal microscope, a laser capture tissue microdissection instrument, a time-lapse microscope with WeatherStation, and a IVIS Lumina imaging system for live animal studies. As a result of this growth, the former LISR is now the Microscopy and Imaging Share Resource (MISR), which serves as a centralized facility for access to imaging instruments within the Cancer Center. One important function of the MISR is to offer technical support to users and to properly maintain the complex instrumentation housed in the facility through annual maintenance services as well as routine calibrations. Moreover, the facility is responsible for upgrades, repairs, and acquisition of new equipment according to the needs of the cancer center researchers. Non-imaging services previously provided by the LISR, such as freezer monitoring, darkroom maintenance, and repairs of shared centrifuges, are now administered and supported entirely through institutional funds.
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