The Centre provides microscopy imaging and analysis support for researchers (current user base of 50-60 people) of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research as well as users from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and The University of Melbourne. Full training is provided to all users, allowing them to independently use the equipment and capture accurate publication quality images.

 

History

Advanced microscopy at the Ludwig Institute began in the early 1990's with the joint purchase (with the Department of Surgery) of a BioRad MRC600 confocal microscope. This microscope was then upgraded in the mid 1990s to an MRC1000 and finally to an MRC1024 in 1999. These purchases and upgrades were driven by Bob Whitehead (Ludwig) and John Hill (Department of Surgery).

A centralized microscopy facility was first established in 2002 by Stephen Cody, who up until then had been a Senior Research Officer in the Colon Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory (1999-2001). He named the new facility the Central Resource for Advanced Microscopy (CRAM).

With the Centre established and a dedicated microscopist available for support the available equipment and imaging techniques expanded. Additional widefield microscopes with sensitive cameras were added. In 2005 a second confocal, a Nikon C1, was purchased to ease the load on the BioRad. Two Olympus FV1000 Spectral confocals with multiphoton capability were purchased in 2008 with funding from the ACRF.

At the end of 2008 Stephen Cody left the Centre and Cameron Nowell took on the role as manager. In addition to being a microscopist Cameron also had extensive experience in image analysis. With a solid microscopy equipment base the addition of image analysis (first MetaMorph and then Imaris) provided a well rounded Centre that could give researchers the most information possible from their data.

At the beginning of 2009 the Centre was renamed the Centre for Advanced Microscopy.