Cell culture is one of the major tools used in cellular and molecular biology, providing excellent model systems for studying the effects of drugs, nanoparticles and toxic compounds on cells.
The MWAC Cell culture Facility houses 3 Biosafety cabinets. Two in the general access cell culture room (524D) and one in the secure cell culture room (524A).
For training and access, please contact Dr Joanna Biazik-Richmond.
Conventional sample preparation for transmission and scanning electron microscopy can be used to study the morphology and ultrastructure of cells to investigate various cellular processes including proliferation, cell death and cell uptake.
For training and access, please contact EMU staff members Dr Joanna Biazik-Richmond, Natasha Kapoor-Kaushik or Greg Harm.
Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM) combines the unique capabilities of light and electron microscopy by studying the exact same sample with both modalities sequentially. The fluorescence signal provides the region of interest and the electron microscopical analysis provides ultrastructural detail and context of the sample. This technique allows us to study rare cellular structures and dynamic cellular processes.
For training and access, please contact BMIF Staff.
For training and access, please contact Dr Joanna Biazik-Richmond or Dr Nicholas Ariotti or Dr Juanfang Ruan.
Cryofixation is a technique where biological material is rapidly frozen. The speed of the freeze prevents any ice crystal formation and membrane damage from occurring. This form of fixation yields superior preservation thereby achieving a near-to-native state ultrastructure.
For training and access, please contact Dr Nicholas Ariotti or Dr Juanfang Ruan or Dr Joanna Biazik-Richmond.
Transmission electron tomography and SEM array tomography are two methods of acquiring high resolution volumetric data from cells and organs after resin embedding.
For training and access, please contact Dr Nicholas Ariotti or Natasha Kapoor-Kaushik or Dr Joanna Biazik-Richmond.
Cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy is an advanced workflow that allows researchers to use the identifying power of fluorescence microscopy coupled with high-resolution imaging capabilities of the cryo- transmission electron microscope. This methodology facilitates a native and hydrated structural understanding of rare and specific events demarked by laser scanning confocal microscopy with Airyscan detection prior to re-registration of the same region of interest by Cryo-EM or Cryo-Electron Tomography.
For training and access, please contact Dr Nicholas Ariotti.
SEB 524 is a PC2 rated and OGTR certified facility (for exempt dealings) which allows the growth of GMOs. For the applications of CLEM and cryo-CLEM specialised plasmids are required for the production of fluorescently tagged markers. These can be transfected into mammalian cell lines and used to tag endocytic pathways or organelles such as, the plasma membrane, the nucleus, the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex. As part of this workflow we will also need to transform and purify bacterial plasmid vectors.
For training and access or for other types of use (e.g microbiology), please contact Natasha Kapoor-Kaushik or Greg Harm.
Location: Science and Engineering Building (E8) level 5 room 515
Contact information: Greg Harm | g.harm@unsw.edu.au | 0437029779 | SEB (E8), level 5, office adjacent to laboratory 524
Please read the extended information in the autoclave schedule on the home page.
