“The OSCAR Imaging Facility is an outgrowth of the NSF-CREST program started at DSU in 2005, and it is supported by the current CREOSA/OSCAR Center at DSU. It has evolved into a major resource for DSU investigators and, more importantly, for training undergraduate and graduate students in imaging techniques, and motivating interdisciplinary research among its users.” - Michael Moore, Imaging Facility Manager

Equipment Scheduling:​

To schedule an appointment on an instrument please use our iLab Calendar.

To create an account on our Scheduling software, click here.

Hours of Operation:​ Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Equipment List

 

Microscopy Equipment

COnfocal Microscopy

Zeiss LSM 780 Confocal Microscope
Zeiss LSM 780 Confocal Microscope
Crest Optics V3 Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope​
Crest Optics V3 Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope​
Horiba XPloRa Raman Confocal Microscope​
Horiba XPloRa Raman Confocal Microscope​

ZEISS LSM 780 CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE​

  • Upright microscope stand​
  • Motorized stage​
  • DIC II, III​
  • Lasers: 405, 458, 488, 514, 561, 633​
  • Z-Stacks, Time Series, Tile scan​
  • Multitrack over 4 color simultaneous imaging​
  • Spectral Imaging​
  • FRET, FRAP​
  • Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)​
  • 10X 0.45 Plan-Apochromat  DIC II​
  • 20X 0.75 Plan-Apochromat DIC II​
  • 40X 1.30 Oil Plan-Neofluar  DIC III​
  • 40X 1.2 Water C-Apochromat DIC III​
  • 63X 1.4 Oil Plan-Apochromat DIC III​
  • 63X 1.2 Water C-Apochromat DIC III

CREST OPTICS V3 SPINNING DISK CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE​

  • Inverted Microscope​
  • DIC​
  • Lasers: 405, 445, 488, 520, 530, 555, 640​
  • Z-Stacks, Time Series, Montage​
  • 2 color Green/ Red simultaneous imaging ​
  • FRAP, Calcium imaging ​
  • 10X 0.30 UPlanSApo​
  • 20X 0.75 UplanSApo​
  • 20X 0.80 Oil UplanSApo​
  • 40X 1.40 Oil UplanXApo​
  • 60X 1.42 Oil UplanXApo

HORIBA XPLORA RAMAN CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE​

  • Upright microscope stand​
  • Motorized stage​
  • Lasers: 785, 638​
  • Z-Stacks Tile scan​
  • Wide Field, Bright Field, Dark Field​
  • Polarized light​
  • DIC​
  • Raman Spectroscopy​
  • Polarized Raman​
  • EMCCD detector

Multimodal Confocal High Content Imaging

Agilent Cytation C10 Confocal BioSpa
Agilent Cytation C10 Confocal BioSpa

Agilent Cytation C10 Confocal BioSpa

The Cytation C10 confocal imaging reader combines automated confocal and widefield microscopy with conventional multimode microplate reading, with programmable BioSpa temperature control.

  • Hamamatsu scientific CMOS (sCMOS) camera
  • BioTek BioSpa 8 automated incubator. For long-term (days) imaging
  • Multiplate live cell assays
  • Wide-field fluorescence, bright-field, and phase contrast optics
  • 4x-60x air objectives
  • Plate and slide holders
  • LDI 4 laser illumination system
  • Microplate reader

Electron Microscopy

FEI Quanta 250 FE Environmental SEM​
FEI Quanta 250 FE Environmental SEM​

FEI QUANTA 250 FE ENVIRONMENTAL SEM​

  • Variable Pressure ​
  • Field Emission ​
  • EDS​
  • EBDS​
  • Peltier Stage ​
  • Heated stage (1000*C)

Atomic Force Microscopy

Bruker Innova AFM​
Bruker Innova AFM​
Bruker Anasys Nano IR2-S
Bruker Anasys Nano IR2-S

BRUKER INNOVA AFM​

  • Contact Mode
  • Tapping Mode​
  • STM​
  • Lateral Force Microscopy​
  • Phase Imaging​
  • Magnetic Force and Electric Field Microscopy​
  • Surface Potential​
  • Liquid Cell for Biological Samples​
  • 5 – 90 µm scan area

Bruker Anasys Nano IR2-S

The Bruker Anasys nanoIR2-S brings together two nanoscale IR techniques: s-SNOM and AFM-IR.

Capabilities:

  • Complementary nanoscale IR techniques –Scattering-type Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (s-SNOM) and Atomic Force Microscopy Infrared Spectroscopy ( AFM-IR)
  • 10nm resolution chemical and optical property mapping
  • nano FTIR high performance broadband spectroscopy
  • Full featured AFM, with unique nanoscale property mapping capabilities

Light Microscopy

Nikon SMZ18 Stereo Zoom Microscope
Nikon SMZ18 Stereo Zoom microscope
Olympus BX53 Polarizing Microscope
Olympus BX53 Polarizing Microscope​

NIKON SMZ18 STEREO ZOOM MICROSCOPE

  • Nikon DS-QI2 CMOS Camera​
  • Zoom Ratio 18:1​
  • 1X and 2X Plan Apo Objectives​
  • Ring LED illumination​
  • Episcopic illumination​
  • LED Trans illumination​
  • Epi-Fluorescence Light: DAPI, GFP, RFP​
  • Heated stage​
  • Nikon Elements Documentation software​
  • Time series

OLYMPUS BX53 POLARIZING MICROSCOPE​

  • Polarization Contrast
  • Bright field​
  • Time-lapse

Super-Resolution Microscopy

Crest Optics DeepSim
Crest Optics DeepSim

Crest Optics DeepSim

The Crest Optics DeepSim uses a structured illumination approach, incorporating a lattices of diffraction limited spots referred to as multi-spot SIM. The image is captured at various rotations of the multi-spot array and the resulting raw image data is reconstructed with a (LME) Maximum Likelihood Estimation statistical approach. The result is a super-resolved image approaching an X/Y of ~100nm and Z of ~300nm.

Capabilities:

  • DeepSim and Wide-Wield imaging modes
  • FOV 1024x1024 pixel (66x66 um 100x |333x333um 20X
  • 13fps (1024x1024px)
  • Multidimensional acquisitions, i.e., Z-stack, Time series, Time-Z series
  • Magnifications from 20X -100X
  • LDI 4 laser illumination system

Spectroscopy Equipment

FTIR Spectroscopy

Aglient Cary 630 FTIR Spectrometer

The Cary 630 is a small benchtop FTIR capable of analyzing powders, liquids and solids materials.

  • Diamond ATR
  • Germanium ATR
  • Transmission Cell
  • Reflectance: Specular

Bruker Alpha II

The Alpha II is a routine benchtop compact FTIR capable of analyzing powders, liquids and solids materials.

  • Diamond ATR
  • ZnSn ATR
  • Reflectance: Specular and Diffuse

UV/VIS/NIR Spectroscopy

Agilent Cary 6000i UV-VIS-nIR
Agilent Cary 6000i UV-VIS-nIR

Cary 6000i UV-VIS-NIR

The Cary 6000i UV-Vis-NIR short-wave infrared (SWIR) 800–1800 nm range as well as the UV-visible 175 to 800 nm. Narrow-band InGaAs detector, with 600 lines-per-mm NIR diffraction grating. Using Cary WinUV software with the Cary 6000i makes it easy to perform powerful analysis and control optional accessories.

  • Wavelength: Tungsten halogen visible and deuterium arc UV
  • Maximum Scanning Speed UV-Vis 2,000 nm/min
  • Photometric System Double beam
  • Power Requirements
  • Spectral Bandwidth UV-Vis 0.01 - 5.00 nm
  • NIR 0.04 - 20 nm
  • Wavelength 175 - 1800 nm
  • Universal Measurement Accessory (UMA) (click to learn more)
  • Peltier Temperature control, with ramping and holding
  • Transmission cell

Fluorometer

ISS K2
ISS K2
Agilent Cary Eclipse Fluorescence Spectrometer
Agilent Cary Eclipse Fluorescence Spectrometer

ISS K2

ISS K2: Fluorometer designed for steady state and time-resolved applications. Frequency domain fluorometer with picosecond resolution, millisecond to picosecond lifetime measurements. 

  • Monochromaters fixed slits ranging from 0.4 t0 32 nm band pass
  • Wavelength range: 200 nm to 1200 nm
  • Polarizers
  • PMT detectors
  • Fast and photon-counting modes
  • Double-Crystal Pockels cell
  • Cross-Correlations Frequency from 0 – 10KHz
  • Xenon light source
  • 488 Laser diode

Cary Eclipse Fluorescence Spectrometer

The Agilent Cary Eclipse fluorescence spectrometer can easily be switched between fluorescence, phosphorescence, chemiluminescence, and bioluminescence measurements.

  • Temperature control
  • Xenon Flash lamp (80hz)
  • Spectral Bandwidth Emission: 1.5 nm, 2.5 nm, 5 nm, 10 nm, 20 nm & 10 nm
  • Excitation: 1.5 nm, 2.5 nm, 5 nm, 10 nm, 20 nm & 10 nm
  • Wavelength Range 200-900nm
  • Time-Resolved Measurements of phosphorescence

Publications

Selected Publications

Jhamba, E.D., M’Rah, Z., Khan, M.A. and Boukari, H., 2017, February. Rotational and translational diffusion in ficoll solutions. In Biophysics, Biology and Biophotonics II: the Crossroads (Vol. 10075, pp. 45-58). SPIE.

Mafi, E., Patel, J., Braithwaite, K. and Rana, M., 2018, September. Calcium lead titanate thin films for pyroelectric detector application. In Wide Bandgap Power and Energy Devices and Applications III (Vol. 10754, pp. 47-54). SPIE.

Verma, D.K., Ghosh, A., Ruggiero, L., Cartier, E., Janezic, E., Williams, D., Jung, E.G., Moore, M., Seo, J.B. and Kim, Y.H., 2020. The SUMO Conjugase Ubc9 Protects Dopaminergic Cells from Cytotoxicity and Enhances the Stability of a-Synuclein in Parkinson’s Disease Models.

Callwood, J., Melmaiee, K., Kulkarni, K.P., Vennapusa, A.R., Aicha, D., Moore, M., Vorsa, N., Natarajan, P., Reddy, U.K. and Elavarthi, S., 2021. Differential morpho-physiological and transcriptomic responses to heat stress in two blueberry species. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(5), p.2481.

Verma, D.K., Seo, B.A., Ghosh, A., Ma, S.X., Hernandez-Quijada, K., Andersen, J.K., Ko, H.S. and Kim, Y.H., 2021. Alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils induce cellular senescence in Parkinson’s disease models. Cells, 10(7), p.1694.

Morales‐Neira, D., 2021. It’s elemental! Siliceous diatom frustules producing sarcoid‐like granulomas in the subcutis. Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, 48(6), pp.795-801

Ghosh, A.A., Verma, D.K., Cabrera, G., Ofori, K., Hernandez-Quijada, K., Kim, J.K., Chung, J.H., Moore, M., Moon, S.H., Seo, J.B. and Kim, Y.H., 2022. A Novel NOX Inhibitor Treatment Attenuates Parkinson’s Disease-Related Pathology in Mouse Models. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(8), p.4262.

Abousamra, W.H., Thomas, D., Yang, D., Islam, S.M., Winstead, C. and Kim, Y.G., 2023. Synthesis and Characterization of the Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer PBDB-T Implementing Group IV Element Germanium. Polymers, 15(11), p.2429

Akonjuen, B.M. and Aryee, A.N., 2023. Development of protein isolate-alginate-based delivery system to improve oxidative stability of njangsa (Ricinodendron heudelotii) seed oil. Food Bioscience, 53, p.102768.

Hinmon, J.A., King, J.M., Mayo, L.J., Faries, C.R., Lockett, Y.H.T., Crawford, D.W., Beardslee, P.C., Hendricks, A. and McNaughton, B.R., 2024. Cell surface β‐lactamase recruitment: A facile selection to identify protein–protein interactions. Protein Science, 33(4), p.e4919.

Vennapusa, A.R., Battle, R.D., Limmada, V.H., Moore, M., Elavarthi, S. and Melmaiee, K., 2024. Investigating Potassium silicate efficacy for improving the strawberry agronomic traits and gray mold fungal resistance. Researchsquare.com

Vadakepurathu, F. and Rana, M., 2024. Electrical, Optical and Thermal Properties of Ge-Si-Sn-O Thin Films. Materials, 17(13), p.3318

 

Theses

Biswas, A., 2018. Characterization of strawberry (fragaria ananassa) by genotyping and phenotyping, Delaware State University.

Bhat, A., 2018. Probing the Interaction between Nanoparticles and Lipid Vesicles, Delaware State University.

Han, P., 2018. Effect of GPA-16 on bilateral asymmetry, neuronal connectivity and learning behavior in C. elegans, Doctoral Thesis, Delaware State University.

D Williams - 2018 The Neuroprotective Effects of Sumo Conjugase, Ubc9, in Dopaminergic Cells and Neurons, Master’s Thesis, Delaware State University.

JP Viana - 2019 Identifying regulatory targets in parkinson’s disease pathology and screening potential therapeutics, Master’s Thesis, Delaware State University.

S Boone - 2020 TDP-43 and apoE4: A Complex Interaction, Master’s Thesis, Delaware State University.

HN Miller - 2020 - Detection and Localization of Protein-Protein Interactions between the Wild-Type CD44-Intracytoplasmic Domain and Transcription Factor RUNX2, Master’s Thesis, Delaware State University.

K Felton - 2020 CD44-Mediated Cell Signaling in Human Immortalized Astroctyes, Delaware State University.

AB Voshell - 2020 Electronic and Optical Properties of Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides, Delaware State University.

MJ Fahey - 2020 Green Synthesis of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide for the Use in Opto-Electronic and Thin Film Applications, Delaware State University.

Calvano, N.P., 2021. Aluminum Nitride Thin Films for Uncooled Infrared Detection, Doctoral Dissertation, Delaware State University.

JB Patel - 2021 Radio-Frequency Sputtered Modified Lead Titanate Thin Films for Uncooled Detectors, Delaware State University.

K Rosikon - 2021 Modulatory Role of the Dopamine Membrane Transporter, Delaware State University.

I La toya - 2022 Analysis of Drought-Regulating Genes and Stress Memory in Durum Wheat (Triticum Durum), Delaware State University.

LM Ruggiero - 2022 Drosophila Models of Environmental Toxicity and Parkinson’s Disease, Master’s Thesis, Delaware State University.

W Abousamra - 2023 Implementation of Group IV Element in Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer via Efficient Method for Energy Applications, Delaware State University.

VH Limmada - 2023 Characterization and Evaluation of Strawberry Genotypes for Resistance to Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum acutatum, Delaware State University.

Akonjuen, B.M., 2023. Encapsulation of Njangsa Seed Oil and Its Application in Functional Food Development, Master’s Thesis, Delaware State University.