Ross Imaging Center

Overview of Services

The Ross Fluorescence Imaging Center is available to all JHU researchers, and outside users, with our main focus being the staff in the Division of Gastroenterology ("GI Center"). We have additional interactions with members of the Division of Cardiology, throughout Department of Medicine, and School of Medicine. We collaborate closely with the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine (ACCM), managing their Leica SP8 confocal microscope core as a separate iLab core (ACCM Confocal Microscope).

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July 1, 2024 (JHU FY25 fiscal year) image core rates are now:

                                Trained     Weekend     Training/Assistance      Comment

Confocal                      $30            $22                   $135                Olympus FV3000RS confocal microscope. Our sister core, ACCM Leica SP8 confocal microscope, rates are the same.

FISHscope                   $10            $10                   $120

Keyence                      $10            $10                   $120

Zeiss AxioImager         $10            $10                   $120

Li-Cor Odyssey              $4              $4                   $120                As of 6/2024 move to G.I. lab with access limited to G.I. users.

Bio-Tek plate reader       $4              $4                   $120

PTI Fluorimeter             $4               $4                  $120

MetaMorph software      $4               $4                  $120

This informations is also at http://confocal.jhu.edu/current-equipment

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July 3, 2023 update: P30 center funding was not renewed. George McNamara, PhD, is now funded 20% by ACCM and GI, so is now 20% here on Ross 9th floor (Ross S913 office; microscopes in 913, S910, S972) and 80% managing the High Throughput Phenotypic Screening ("HPS2") platform in Smith Bldg (10 minute walk across campus). 

   One consequence of George being 20% time at Ross 9 is that new users need to be patient about getting training on new instruments (and old users to get retraining if forgot what to do) -- may be several weeks before training can be done. JHU has many other microscopy facilities (MicFac, Neuroscience, Ophtalmology, as examples). All users need to be attentive to details - especially how to start and finish sessions on any specific microscope. Users need to  be carefulto leave the microscope in a fully functional state for the next user.

  Reminder: all users need to have reservations (its also how we bill) and to sign in at the start of your session (and sign out at end so we do not bill you to next user starts).

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out of date as of July 2023: Main users are (were) NIH NIDDK funded P30 "DCC" Center and collaborators in the G.I. division. 

The DCC’s areas of research emphasized include Epithelial transporter function and regulation (with emphasis on trafficking, protein-protein interactions and heavy metal transport), Inflammation, injury and fibrosis, Neurogastroenterology, and GI pre-cancer (with emphasis on signaling pathways, inflammation, epigenetics, and biomarkers).

 The mission of Hopkins DCC Imaging Core B is to provide equipment and service of classical and cutting-edge light microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to our Research Base investigators for study of the physiology and cell biology of the GI track at the level of organs, tissues, cell models, co-cultures, sub-cellular organelles and single molecules. These approaches include wide-field, confocal and multiphoton microscopy with applications for immunofluorescence; single molecule RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH); measurements of intracellular pH, Ca²⁺and other ions by small molecule indicators and fluorescent protein biosensors; methods to determine protein trafficking at a single cell level; FRET microscopy for detection of protein-protein interactions in in vitro and in vivo models; FRAP microscopy for monitoring the changes in protein mobility and binding in protein complexes; and multicolor spectral imaging with more than 4 fluorophores.

 We are located in the Ross Research Building 9^th floor (service corridor S913, S910, S972). Our major focus is confocal microscopy, with an Olympus FV3000RS inverted confocal microscope. We also manage ACCM’s Leica SP8 confocal microscope. Our new single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization microscope (“FISHscope”) is a state of the art 5plex microscope, complemented by development of smFISH probe sets by our core director, Prof. Bin Wu. We have an Olympus FV1000MPE multiphoton microscope, Keyence BZ-X700 “box” microscope, Zeiss inverted microscope with Olympus DP80 dual monochrome & RGB CCDs camera, multiple MetaMorph Imaging System software licenses, and expert fluorescence microscopy consultations and training from Image Core Manager George McNamara, PhD, and Image Core Director Prof. Bin Wu, PhD.

 We additionally manage the iLab schedulers for several additional instruments, including Li-Cor Odyssey CLx Western blot scanner, PerkinElmer EnVision 2104 multi-mode plate reader (absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, Alpha screen), and two Horiba PTI-fluorimeters.

Sept 2022: single molecule RNA FISH fluorescent oligonucleotide(s) Probe Synthesis "as a Service" idea ended - you can contact Prof. Bin Wu directly about collaborating with their lab (they may be busy withtheir projects). 

Leadership

Bin Wu, PhD | Director

George McNamara, PhD | Manager

Location and hours of operation

Web links

• To add users and assign IO#'s please see   https://help.ilab.agilent.com/36900-managing-your-group/279959-membership-requests-fund-numbers  
• Our old web site current equipment pages  http://confocal.jhu.edu/current-equipment
• Select instrument pages on old web site:
• Olympus FV3000RS    http://confocal.jhu.edu/current-equipment/fv3000 
• FISHscope                 http://confocal.jhu.edu/current-equipment/fishscope 

20210126Tue: Services - use Schedule Equipment tab ( https://johnshopkins.corefacilities.org/service_center/5148/?tab=equipment ) to make reservations. When you use any equipment, enter your name and start time (and date) "first thing", and then sign out when done. Failure to sign in at start of each session means you are trespassing on JHU property. Billing of our confocal microscopes is in 1/2 hour interval (rounded up) from sign-in sheet. Other equipment is billed by reservation. 

Contacts

Map

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ross+Research+Building/@39.2990069,-76.5970203,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x89c804624c87ff91:0xc25e49fbee8bc7fa!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c8057f825dd71f:0xe518a3526136db7e!8m2!3d39.2990029!4d-76.5921494!16s%2Fg%2F11ghzn6hkv?entry=ttu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . Google Maps (picture is under Ross Bldg - from the adjacent Rutland Garage [JHU staff parking only] - visitors can use Washington Street Garage, on east side of Washington St, entrance between East Monument St (east bound) and East Madison St (west bound). We recommend using a JHU parking garage, not on street parking. . George McNamara, PhD 720 Rutland Ave Ross Research Building S913 (service corridor) 720 Rutland Ave Baltimore MD 21231 Please note: Dr. McNamara is part time at "Ross 9" (Ross Imaging Core and ACCM Confocal Microscope Core), and part time at the Smith Bldg (10 minutes walk) - please plan WELL IN ADVANCE to for training, appointments, etc