Shared Facilities Research
Bioluminescent
Imaging Services
Scientific
Director:
David Feith, PhD
The Bioluminescent Imaging Core Facility provides a non-invasive
way of tracking localized changes in the activities of
particular gene promoters in cells or in whole animals, for
example during normal development, after drug exposure or toxic
insult, or during tumor growth. A transgene expressing
luciferase under the control of a gene promoter of interest is
incorporated into a transgenic animal or into cells in culture.
After luciferin ingestion, areas where the transgene is being
expressed can be clearly measured and differences in tissue or
regional expression can be quantitated. Because the measurements
do not involve sacrificing the animal, serial measurements or
time courses can be obtained, and the response to multiple
different treatments can be measured while minimizing
inter-animal variability.
Services Offered:
·
Non-invasive whole animal imaging of gene promoter activity
patterns in transgenic animals (developmental patterns, drug or
treatment effect time courses, tumor staging, etc.)
·
Imaging of bioluminescence from cells in culture
Major Equipment:
·
Xenogen IVIS 50 Imaging System in the Animal Research Barrier
Facility
·
Remote analysis workstation for image processing
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