Acquisition of a Leica ICE high-pressure freezer for correlated light and electron microscopy and electron tomography

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

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Abstract

Project summary Acquisition of a Leica ICE high-pressure freezer Otegui, M (PI) Project summary High-pressure freezing is the preferred method for preservation of biological samples for transmission electron analysis. A group of 9 major and 6 minor users is seeking to acquire a Leica CE high-pressure freezer to replace an aging Baltec high-pressure freezer at the UW-Madison and add more versatile correlative light and electron microcopy capabilities. Users will high-pressure freeze cultured animal cells, worms, retinal and brain tissues, and plants for electron microscopy, immunogold-labeling, and electron tomography. The new instrument will be installed in the Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology (LCMB), a center dedicated to advancing cellular imaging research on the UW campus. As for the existing high-pressure freezer, users will be able to operate the instrument themselves after training by LCMB staff or through the services offered by the School of Medicine and Public Health electron microscopy facility. Institutional support is provided to cover service contract for the first 5 years of operation. An instrument manager will be in charge of weekly maintenance tasks and user training. An advisory board will meet twice a year or as needed to decide on usage policies and fee structure and to prepare annual reports.