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CCSG Imaging Facility

Overview

The imaging of complex cellular structures is used to determine how the temporal and spatial organization of regulatory events within cells, tissues and organisms impacts both normal and pathological processes. The state-of-the-art Imaging Shared Resource provides access to standard and advanced optical imaging systems capable of reaching these goals and offers assistance with advanced image analysis solutions. Researchers may be trained for unassisted use of all core instrumentation, while full-service assistance by facility staff is also available for quantitative or qualitative image capture. The Facility also offers expert technical assistance with experimental design to optimize imaging results, enabling users to get more out of the imaging technology.

Services

  • Brightfield and fluorescence widefield microscopy
  • Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) in brightfield and fluorescence
  • Spectral confocal microscopy
  • Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) and other Functional molecular imaging (FRET, FRAP, photobleaching)
  • Super-resolution (STED) microscope
  • 2-photon and intravital imaging
  • 2-D and 3-D live-cell, multi-channel, multipoint, time-lapse imaging
  • Automated plate scanning for brightfield and fluorescence
  • Low magnification and photomacrography
  • Pre-clinical whole-body luminescence, fluorescence and microCT imaging
  • Pre-clinical ultrasound imaging
  • Pre-clinical whole body and targeted radiotherapy
  • Personalized assistance and training on all imaging systems
  • Personalized image analysis services and training
  • Assistance with microscopes within researcher’s labs
  • Traditional photographic services

Equipment & Features

Upright widefield microscopes (brightfield and fluorescence)
  • Nikon 80i Upright Microscope
  • Nikon Eclipse NiE motorized, automated upright microscope
  • Nikon SMZ800 and 1500 stereomicroscopes
  • Hamamatsu Nanozoomer S60 Whole Slide Scanner
Inverted widefield microscopes (brightfield and fluorescence)
  • Nikon Eclipse TiE: automated
  • Leica MICA microhub (Wistar North): automated
  • Nikon TE300: semi-automated All three instruments have environmental control
  • Nikon TE2000
Laser-based instruments (for fixed and live-cell imaging)
  • Leica TCS SP8 WLL
  • Leica Stellaris 3X TauSTED: Super-resolution (STED), FLIM
  • Leica Stellaris FALCON (Wistar North): FLIM
    All three are equipped with a White Light Laser and are spectral confocals
  • Leica TCS SP8 MP: 2-photon and intravital
    All instruments have environmental control
    Pre-clinical imaging systems

    • Revvity IVIS SpectrumCT small animal whole body imager
    • Revvity Vega ultrasound system with Image Guided Injection
    • Xstrahl Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP)
    Other Imaging Systems
    • Traditional digital camera systems (Nikon Z6II)
    • Advanced image analysis workstations

    Pricing

    For pricing information, visit iLab or contact the managing director.

    This facility is supported in part by a Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) awarded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center.

    Selected Publications

    Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus induces mitochondrial fission to evade host immune responses and promote viral production

    Zhu Q, McElroy R, Machhar JS, Cassel J, Zheng Z, Mansoori B, Guo H, Guo S, Pangilinan C, Liang J, Shen D, Zhang L, Liu Q, Kossenkov AV, Altieri DC, Lieberman PM, Gao S-J, Feng P, Murphy ME, Song J, Salvino JM, Liang Q, Jung JU, Liang C. 2025. Nat Microbiol. 10:1501-1520. PMC12337130.

    TXNRD1 drives the innate immune response in senescent cells with implications for age-associated inflammation

    Hao X, Zhao B, Towers M, Liao L, Monteiro EL, Xu X, Freeman C, Peng H, Tang H-Y, Havas A, Kossenkov AV, Berger SL, Adams PD, Speicher DW, Schultz D, Marmorstein R, Zaret KS, Zhang R. 2024. Nat Aging. 4:185-197. PMC11210448.

    Type I interferon response in astrocytes promotes brain metastasis by enhancing monocytic myeloid cell recruitment

    Ma W, Oliveira-Nunes MC, Xu K, Kossenkov A, Reiner BC, Crist RC, Hayden J, Chen Q. 2023. Nat Commun. 14:2632 PMC10163863.

    ADAR1 downregulation by autophagy drives senescence independently of RNA editing by enhancing p16INK4a levels

    Hao X, Shiromoto Y, Sakurai M, Towers M, Zhang Q, Wu S, Havas A, Wang L, Berger S, Adams PD, Tian B, Nishikura K, Kossenkov AV, Liu P, Zhang R. 2022. Nat Cell Biol. 24:1202-1210. PMC9757154.

    Parkin Induces Ubiquitination and Large Extracellular Vesicle Release of HMGB1 to Activate Antitumor Immunity

    Yeon M, Perego M, Elokely KM, Abou-Gharbia M, Childers WE, Milcarek AT, Bertolini I, Tang H-Y, Languino LR, Stein GS, Ghule PN, Vietje BP, Taatjes DT, Altieri DC. 2025. Cancer Res. PMC12495980

    Myeloid activation clears ascites and reveals IL27-dependent regression of metastatic ovarian cancer

    Murphy B, Miyamoto T, Manning BS, Mirji G, Ugolini A, Kannan T, Hamada K, Zhu YP, Claiborne DT, Huang L, Zhang R, Nefedova Y, Kossenkov A, Veglia F, Shinde R, Zhang N. 2024. J Exp Med. 221 PMC11586802.

    Contact Us

    The Wistar Institute
    Imaging Facility, Room 287
    3601 Spruce Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19104
    215-898-3887

    Directors/Assistants

    Nan Zhang, Ph.D.
    Scientific Director

    Pavan Vedula, Ph.D.
    Managing Director

    Fengchong Kong, MS
    Co-Managing Director

    Frederick Keeney, BS
    Assistant Managing Director

    Shang Wu
    Research Assistant II

    Facility Hours

    Monday-Friday
    8:30 am-5:00 pm