Electron Microscopy (EM) Core Facility

Background

The Electron Microscopy (EM) Core Facility facilitates intramural NINDS investigators with the opportunity to use electron microscopic techniques in their research programs. The staff provide assistance in all aspects of electron microscopy including project planning, specimen preparation and training.

Pictured left to right: Rita Azzam, Dr. Cheng, and Virginia Tanner-Crocker
Pictured left to right: Rita Azzam, Dr. Cheng, and Virginia Tanner-Crocker

Core Staff

Susan J. H. Tao Cheng, Ph.D., Core Director
Phone: 301-496-0579
E-mail: chengs@ninds.nih.gov

Rita Azzam, Biologist
Virginia Tanner-Crocker, B.S., Biologist    

Scope of the Core Facility

The Facility is dedicated to providing the scientific community within NINDS equipment for transmission electron microscopy . The Facility also offers expertise in the use and application of microscopy to a wide variety of scientific problems. Highly competent technical staff provide all users access to routine as well as customized protocols involving fixation, embedding, sectioning and examination of samples. Pre- and Post-embed labeling procedures are available.

Core Facility Equipment

  • JEOL 1200 EXII Transmission Electron Microscope
  • JEOL 200 CX Transmission Electron Microscope
  • AMT digital camera system (XR-100 ) on both microscopes
  • Leica Ultracut E Ultramicrotomes
  • Histology And Diamond Knives

Publications Using the Core 

  • Levy JR, Sumner CJ, Caviston JP, Tokito MK, Ranganathan S, Ligon LA, Wallace KE, LaMonte BH, Harmison GG, Puls I, Fischbeck KH, Holzbaur EL. (2006) A motor neuron disease-associated mutation in p150Glued perturbs dynactin function and induces protein aggregation. J Cell Biol. 172:733-745.
  • Zhang J, Diamond JS.    Distinct perisynaptic and synaptic localization of NMDA and AMPA receptors on ganglion cells in rat retina. (2006) J Comp Neurol. 498:810-820.
  • Chang KT, Min KT. (2005) Drosophila melanogaster homolog of Down syndrome critical region 1 is critical for mitochondrial function. Nat Neurosci. 8:1577-1585.
  • Tian JH, Wu ZX, Unzicker M, Lu L, Cai Q, Li C, Schirra C, Matti U, Stevens D, Deng C, Rettig J, Sheng ZH. (2005) The role of Snapin in neurosecretion: snapin knock-out mice exhibit impaired calcium-dependent exocytosis of large dense-core vesicles in chromaffin cells. J Neurosci. 25:10546-10555.
  • Donati D, Martinelli E, Cassiani-Ingoni R, Ahlqvist J, Hou J, Major EO, Jacobson S. (2005) Variant-specific tropism of human herpesvirus 6 in human astrocytes. J Virol. 79:9439-9448.