Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases
We lead efforts to treat and prevent infectious diseases by conducting pioneering research into the biological, chemical, and genetic factors behind pathogens.
BSL3 Imaging Core Facility
The IID-HSPH BSL3 imaging core was created and established in 2024, with funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the aim is to provide to the scientific community at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and in Massachusetts advanced microscopy tools for fluorescent imaging in a BSL3 context, namely a Spinning Disk Confocal and Lattice Lightsheet microscopes.
Spinning Disk Confocal
Microscope
This instrument is suitable for cell and tissue fixed and live imaging. The system max lateral (XY) and axial (Z) resolutions are ~300 nm and ~1000 nm. Here below are highlighted a few of the most relevant imaging capabilities of the system:
- Oil Objective, 40x, NA=1.3
- Oil Objective, 63x, NA=1.4
- Air Objective, 10x, NA=0.45
- Air Objective, 20x, NA=0.8
- Lasers: 488 nm, 561 nm, 638 nm
- 2 sCMOS cameras for simultaneous imaging
Data processed in Imaris: brightness/contrast adjusted for better visualization and no deconvolution
Lightsheet Miscroscope
This instrument is suitable for cell and tissue fixed and live imaging. The system max lateral and axial resolutions are ~300 nm and ~600 nm. Here below are highlighted a few of the most relevant imaging capabilities of the system:
- Single Objective: 44.83x and NA=1.0
- Lasers: 488 nm, 561 nm and 640 nm
- 2 sCMOS cameras for simultaneous imaging
Data processed in Imaris: brightness/contrast adjusted for better visualization and no deconvolution
Microscope Access and Scheduling
To use our microscopy systems, please first contact Dr. Ricardo F. Bango Da Cunha Correia to discuss your scientific goals and experimental design. After this initial meeting, you will receive training tailored to your needs. Scheduling access to the microscopes will be provided once training is complete.
Please remember to bring your own external hard drive for data collection. A computer workstation is available for data visualization and analysis.
Location and Contacts
The BSL3 core Facility is located on the 4th floor of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Building (FXB), Room 413.
If you need more information or you’d like to schedule an appointment please contact the BSL3 Imaging Director, Ricardo F. Bango Da Cunha Correia.
Ricardo Bango da Cunha Correia
Research Associate
Ricardo has joined IID to manage the advanced microscopy facility that is currently being implemented in the department. He is a Physicist with a PhD in Life Sciences which he earned in Dundee, Scotland. He has more than 10 years of experience in designing, building and operating microscopes with emphasis on Lightsheet and Lattice Lightsheet microscopy.
During the last 6 years Ricardo has worked in Tom Kirchhausen’s Lab at BCH/HMS, where he built a MOSAIC scope and conducted live imaging experiments with cells, tissues, drug discovery and viral infection. In some of the experiments microfluidic devices were designed and implemented to monitor and time, as an example, cell-cell interaction.