Take a closer look

The school of life sciences opened its new centre for high-resolution imaging and digital processing housing two new powerful electron microscopes at a cost of £2 million.

A standard microscope allows magnification of up to 1,000 times but this new equipment will let researchers look so closely at cells that they will be able to see not only cell structures but details on the proteins and viruses that maybe inside them.

The centre for high-resolution imaging and processing (CHIPs) is a purpose built unit for electron microscopy providing powerful microscopy, the capacity to produce digital images of the specimen under the microscope and direct TV images for use in scientific discussions. One of the microscopes has a special cold stage so researchers can view the frozen specimens without having to chemically fix them. These new facilities will be used by scientists in Dundee and visiting scientists from all over the UK who need to use the specialised equipment.

The new unit was funded by a £1M grant from the Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) awarded in 1998. Additional funding from the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council via the Dundee eukaryotic membrane dynamics co-operative group brought the total funding for the project to over £2M, allowing the purchase of the new electron microscopes, ancillary equipment, and employment of staff to operate the facility. The Dundee eukaryotic membrane dynamics group brings together nine leading researchers all of whom share a common interest in cell membranes. Membrane dynamics are important in a variety of ways, controlling how material enters and leaves the cell, how compartments within the cell such as the nucleus are formed and the way lipids (fats) signal to activate a variety of processes. Defects in cell membranes give rise to a range of diseases including immune disorders and heart disease.

Co-ordinating the JIF bid was Professor Angus Lamond, head of the division of gene regulation and expression. Professor Lamond: "High resolution microscopy is of tremendous importance for biomedical research. The new unit at Dundee will be invaluable for our future studies on the causes of human disease and our search for new cures. It will assist all research in the school of life sciences."

Professor Keith Gull from the University of Manchester opened the centre and led a day of specialised lectures to celebrate the new facilities. Other lecturers included Professor Chris Hutchison from the University of Durham and Professor Terry Allen of the Christie CRC Research Centre, University of Manchester.

caption - Two specimens examined under the new electron microscopes. The first is a pollen grain and the second shows the head -eyes and mouthparts of a Scottish midge. The midge study was part of a project to try to find ways to eliminate the midge population from Scotland by understanding the ways in which it recognises its prey - us! Images courtesy of Alan Prescott, school of life sciences

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