URMC Pathology/Morphology Imaging Core (PMIC)

The URMC PMIC provides Medical Center researchers the ability and expertise to obtain high quality data from tissue, culture, and materials based scientific studies. The Core serves as the information hub for Medical Center resources centering around the histological processing, imaging, and quantitation from high quality images. The Core provides constant or intermittent hands-on assistance with all imaging procedures as needed by the investigators as well as customization of protocols to optimize obtainment of high quality data using the Core instruments.

The PMIC Core is designed to facilitate Medical Center researchers' abilities to navigate from the level of the intact organism to the analysis of subcellular structures. For example, the core works closely with the DLAM Histology Laboratory (headed by Linda Johnstone) which provides service to all medical center researchers for the gross characterization, sectioning, and standard histological processing of specimens. The PMIC Core also works closely with Medical Center pathologists to facilitate both gross and section pathological analyses.

Core instrumentation includes the sophisticated Leica laser confocal microscope which can be used with an advanced upright or inverted microscope that provides the versatility to image all currently available fluorophores within the green, near red and far red spectra. The Core also contains a state-of-the-art SPOT camera connected to an Olympus upright microscope which is connected to a computer that enables morphometric analysis of chromogenic or fluorogenic images.

Equipment: The confocal and classical fluorescent microscopes are located in two rooms on the 1-2100 floor.

1) Leica TCS SP Spectral Confocal microscope, equipped with both an inverted DMIRBE and upright DMRE Leica microscopes.

2) Olympus AH-2 microscope linked to an image processing computer running Image-Pro Plus v. 3 with a Spot digital camera.

3) An image processing computer running Stereo-Investigator software

4) A PixCell Laser Capture Microscope with full computer support is also included.

5) An additional computer is loaded with a duplicate set of confocal software, Adobe Photoshop, a QMS 330 color laser printer and a Kodak professional 8670 PS dye-sublimation printer

Contact: Linda Callahan, 275-1317, Linda_Callahan@urmc.rochester.edu; or David Pasternack, 273-4097, David_Pasternack@urmc.rochester.edu.

Services available and current rates:

New Service coming this Spring: Stereo Investigator Equipment for unbiased stereology studies

Instrument Sign-Up Calendar

Click Here to go to the PMIC Sign-up website

Contact: Linda Callahan, 275-1317,
Linda_Callahan@urmc.rochester.edu; or
David Pasternack, 273-4097,
David_Pasternack@urmc.rochester.edu