Our Services
Our mission is to ensure that every scientist visiting the CCI is provided with expert imaging services and state-of-the-art equipment to answer any research question from in vitro to in vivo, from millimeter to nanometer and to relate structure to function and morphology to mechanism! Transfer of unique knowledge to researchers are supported nationally, including organization of workshops and courses in advanced cellular and molecular imaging applications and method development
Support is given at all stages of the project including consultation on the experimental design, sample optimization or preparation, training on proper use of microscopes and related instruments, image acquisition, post-acquisition image processing and analysis.
Advanced hands-on training
It consists of a tailored personal training on an imaging system, which includes a description of the system and how to operate it, and an introduction to the basic theoretical concepts of optical or electron microscopy. The practical training includes the start/stop procedure of the system, how to acquire good images and to avoid pitfalls, saving of data, data transfer, and finally, a check of individual knowledge, by supervising the user during the first booking period. The duration of the training may vary according to the systems and knowledge of the user.
If you are interested in using our facility, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will organize a meeting, where we discuss your scientific question and analysis needs. This will allow you to choose the right equipment for your question and increase in expertise and reproducible image data acquisition.
Imaging as a full service
If you have a limited set of samples that you would like to visualize, and you do not have the time to use the imaging equipment or technique, we offer to perform the imaging and/or analysis for you. NOTE: This service is subject to availability of our resources, and the pricing needs to be negotiated. For more information please contact us.
For light microscopy (LM), the user is the main responsible for the practical part of the sample preparation, but we offer advice and support on LM, if required, and especially on the sample optimization for super-resolution microscopy (including the fluorescent probe selection).
The electron microscopy staff provides advanced expertise and can assist in every step of sample preparation for a large variety of biological samples ranging from macromolecules, cells, model organisms to tissues. For short and one-off projects, we provide complete sample preparation service. For long-term projects we offer to train the users in specimen preparation and assist them in their use of sample preparation facility resources. For more information please contact us.
Full sample preparation service can be combined with imaging acquisitionand image analysis services. NOTE: Full service is subject to availability of our resources, and the pricing needs to be negotiated. For more information please contact us.
We offer image processing and analysis support for light and electron microscopy data acquired both at the CCI and externally. In this regard we offer two service models:
- Consultation and customized software development. Via the consultation model, we offer advice to our users on the best way to accomplish their image analysis needs, and offer access to commercial and open source image analysis software via our dedicated work stations.
- Customized software development. When the image analysis tasks are particularly challenging or lie outside of the technical capabilities of the user, we offer customized software development as a full service. In this case, the user provides us with a microscopy data set, and we deliver the final analysis output together with the software tools created to accomplish these results.
For more information please contact us.
The Cell Culture Laboratory of the CCI is a Type II laboratory exclusively used by our Users. It is equipped with the basic material needed to obtain and maintain cell cultures in a laboratory: laminar flow and biological safety cabinets, a cell culture CO2 incubator, a centrifuge, water bath, inverted microscope and a fridge/freezer. Users work mainly with cell culture lines from humans or experimental animals and with primary cultures.
The daily maintenance of the laboratory is performed by the CCI Staff, who are in charge of constantly taking care and maintaining the laboratory in optimal working conditions: basic maintenance of cabinets and incubators, control of the correct function of any of the instruments present in the laboratory, appropriate waste disposal, control of the supply of any material needed for the proper work in the laboratory. An annual revision of the proper functioning of the laminar flow and biological safety cabinets the gas supply is performed by specialised companies.
Our main ambition is to ensure a positive result at the end of the day and that you get as much out as possible from the use of the facility. However, the University of Gothenburg has instructed the core facilities to be partially self-sustaining, which today means 50% of the total running costs for the facility. Therefore, a user fee is charged by the hour and vary for the different types of microscopes, due to different costs for purchasing, user support, service contracts and spare parts. The Academia fees are subventioned, while the Industry pay the full price of the running costs including VAT. Minimum technical support is always included in the user fee.
