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.

Recent Publications

Semiz, S., Park, J. G., Nicoloro, S. M. C., Furcinitti, P., Zhang, C., Chawla, A., Leszyk, J. and Czech, M. P. "Conventional kinesin KIF5B mediates insulin-stimulated GLUT4 movements on microtubules."  EMBO J. 22, 2387-2399 (2003).

Ladinsky,M. K., Kremer, J. R., Furcinitti, P. S., McIntosh, J. R., and Howell, K. E., "HVEM tomography of the Trans-Golgi Network: Structural insights and identification of a lace-like vesicle coat." J. Cell Biol. 127, 29-38 (1994).

Lyon, M. K., Marr, K. M. and Furcinitti, P. S. Formation and characterization of two-dimensional crystals of photosystem II. " J. Struct. Biol. 110, 133-140 (1993).

Devaud,G. Furcinitti, P. S., Fleming, J. C., Lyon, M. K., and Douglas, K. "Direct observation of defect structure in protein crystals by atomic force and transmission electron microscopy." Biophys. J. 63, 630-638 (1992).

Furcinitti, P. S., van Oostrum, J., and Burnett, R. M. "Adenovirus Polypeptide IX revealed as a capsid cement by difference images from electron microscopy and crystallography." EMBO J. 8 3563-3570 (1989).

Personnel

Paul S. Furcintti, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor in the Program in Molecular Medicine
Director of the Digital Imaging Core Facility

Academic Background

B.S., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1971
M.S. University of New Hampshire, 1974
Ph.D. University of New Hampshire, 1975

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1976
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pennsylvania State University, 1976-1978
Research Associate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1978-1979
Research Associate, Columbia University, 1979-1982
Senior Research Associate, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 1982-1985
Assistant Biophysicist, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 1985-1987
Associate Biophysicist, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 1987-1988
Assistant Research Scientist, University of Michigan, 1988-1990
Senior Research Associate, University of Colorado, 1990-1995
Image Analysis Specialist, Micro Video Instruments, 1995-1999

Director of the Digital Imaging Core Facility

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

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