EVANSTON, Ill–Northwestern University’s Biological Imaging Facility (BIF) has been selected as one of two sites in the world to receive a JEOL ClairScope (JASM-6200). JEOL has also designated BIF as an Applications Development Center to collaborate with JEOL scientists to design methodologies that will benefit users.

The ClairScope is a unique instrument that integrates an Olympus upright configuration widefield fluorescence microscope with an inverted column scanning electron microscope (SEM). Specimens can be observed in fluorescence mode and imaged with the SEM on the same instrument–-all at normal atmospheric pressure. “The ClairScope can be applied to a variety of sample types, but is particularly well-suited to performing correlative microscopy on biological specimens,” said BIF Manager, Dr. William Russin. “Making this novel technology available to our users will be of significant benefit to their projects and undoubtedly open new research avenues.”

The ClairScope will be on display at the Microscopy and Microanalysis Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon from August 2-5. Following the meeting, the instrument will be shipped to BIF on the Evanston campus and installed in newly acquired space at Hogan Hall. For more information on the ClairScope, visit the JEOL website.

“We are very excited at the prospect of launching this product from such a prestigious laboratory,” said JEOL USA Director and Vice President Charles Nielsen. “We believe it will be an exciting new imaging system for the scientific community and are delighted at the prospect of having your team explore new applications with the ClairScope,” Nielsen said to Russin.

BIF is a research and training facility that serves the imaging needs of over 500 scientists representing 144 different labs from 23 different departments. It also serves the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Rice Foundation. BIF users can prepare samples, capture and analyze images, and create final presentations in one facility quickly and efficiently. Dr. Catherine Woolley, Professor of Neurobiology and Physiology, has served as Faculty Director of BIF since 2001. For more information, contact the BIF office.