Working with Nikon Instruments UK, the Imaging Facility at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University has enhanced its advanced imaging capability. The University has added to its existing imaging resources; two A1R confocal imaging systems, a Total Internal Reflectance (TIRF) microscopy system and a Super Resolution microscopy systems equipped to provide both N-STORM* (Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy) and N-SIM** (Structured Illumination Microscopy). The facility caters for a wide variety of imaging requirements and can offer phase, DIC, fluorescence and confocal microscopy, and now super resolution.

Professor Nick Reynolds, Academic Head of the University's Bio-Imaging Unit commented "The Faculty has recognised the importance of bio-imaging by providing further significant investment in facilities and infrastructure. As part of this initiative the Faculty has committed more than one million pounds to new imaging equipment in 2010/11.  In selecting the equipment recently installed in the Faculty, we were impressed with the engagement shown by Nikon and its commitment to sustained development of bio-imaging in the Faculty."

Robert Forster, General Manager of Nikon Instruments UK added, "The Bio-Imaging Unit at Newcastle is a key imaging facility in the UK, being amongst the first to install a BioStation CT for stem cell development and research, and we are delighted to be working with them and their partner institutes in this new venture.  With Nikon's core technology being at the forefront of innovative live cell and super resolution imaging, this is a natural progression for us.  Nikon's UK team is also looking forward to using the Newcastle Imaging Facility for demonstrations to prospective interested customers."

The University's imaging facility aims to provide an invaluable state-of-the-art microscopy resource not only to members of the University but to other academic institutions and industry. As a specialised resource, a number of imaging approaches are available and include: Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleach (FRAP), Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), and up to six dimensional imaging.

Alex Laude, manager of the University's imaging facility, commented, "The addition of the A1R confocals and the TIRF microscope system will allow researchers to visualise in real time  and high definition , events that are both dynamic and long lasting.  The ability to probe beyond the resolution barrier using super resolution microscopy will, if the need arises, yield important spatial information hitherto unavailable using conventional light microscopy."

For more information visit http://www.nikoninstruments.eu/en_GB

* The N-STORM microscope system has been developed by Nikon through a licensing agreement with Harvard University granting Nikon the rights to use the Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) technology.

**The N-SIM system has been developed by Nikon through an agreement with the University of California, San Francisco Office of Technology Management for Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) technology.