Section: Research

Paul Furcinitti, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Assistant Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Program in Molecular Medicine

High Resolution Multi-mode Digital Microscopy and Image Analysis

My current research interest is to collaborate with other researchers at the Univ. of Mass. Medical School to determine structure function relationships in biological systems by acquiring high resolution light microscope images of cellular organelles which are specifically labeled with fluorescent probes. The facilities of the digital imaging core facility allows the researcher to acquire a 3-D thru - focus image series at a single or at multiple wavelengths or to acquire time lapse images or high resolution 2-D images. Digital deconvolution algorithms can be used to remove out-of-focus haze from the 3-D image sets and 3-D volume rendering of the resulting images allows spatial relationships between cellular organelles and probes to be determined. Image averaging and other image analysis techniques can also be applied, when appropriate, to extract the maximum amount of information from the data.

The Digital Imaging Core Facility was established by the University of Massachusetts Medical School Research Council in 1997 and is hosted by the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Toxicology in room S7-105. The facility is available to all on campus researchers for a modest fee. The facility consists of an Olympus IX-70 inverted light microscope, a Roper Scientific high resolution, thinned, back-illuminated cooled CCD digital camera, a Sutter filter wheel and shutter and a PZT piezoelectric focus drive . The shutter, filter wheel, focus drive and digital camera are controlled by a PC running the Metamorph image acquisition and analysis software package. A separate Metamorph workstation is available for off-line image analysis. There are also 3 SGI workstations available for digital deconvolution to remove out of focus haze and for 3-D volume rendering. Digital deconvolution is performed using the exhaustive photon reassignment (EPR) algorithm developed by the Biomedical Imaging Group under the direction of the late Dr. Frederick Fay. A Condonics Dye sublimation printer and an Opal film recorder (slide maker) are also available to users of the facility.

Office: Biotech II Ste 114
Phone: 508-856-0045
Fax: 508-856-1840
E-mail: Paul.Furcinitti@umassmed.edu

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