The nelson Laboratory space
In 2023 The Nelson Laboratory moved to the newly built Firestone Medical Research Building at UVM. The main laboratory area is over 3000 square feet with an additional seven isolated areas dedicated to in vivo blood flow and vessel dynamics imaging, Ca2+ imaging, electrophysiology, and isolated vessel diameter studies.
Microscopy
Scientifica Hyperscope with Coherent Chameleon Discovery multiphoton laser
This 2-photon laser scanning microscope with tunable multiphoton and secondary fixed multiphoton laser lines, is used for deep tissue imaging, primarily in vivo imaging of the brain vasculature. This system has been designed with high speed 4D imaging capabilities through the optional use of resonance scanning and piezo nosepiece driven z-movement. Our multiphoton system has attached electrophysiology and Picospritzing components. See Scientifica's site to learn more about the Hyperscope.
4D Volumetry analysis of in vivo brain endothelial cell calcium events
Yokogawa spinning disk confocal microscopy
Our lab has two Yokagowa Nipkow spinning disk confocal microscopes for rapid, high resolution live cell imaging. The system pictured (CSU-W1) has multichannel and mosaic optogenetic stimulation capabilities with attached electrophysiology and Picospritzing components.
RCaMP (mural cells) and GCaMP (endothelial cells) in microvessels
10 µm
TRPV4 sparklets from en face endothelium
High speed widefield microscopy
Using the Olympus MVX10 and Andor sCMOS camera, our widefield system can collect 2048 x 2048 pixel images at 60-100 frames per second. Ideal for collecting whole animal to whole tissue images at high speed and high resolution (examples: whole bladder smooth muscle cell calcium events and particle tracking through the retinal vasculature [below])
500 ms transit time
Whole pressurized bladder with SMC GCaMP expression
Other nelson lab microscopy instrumentation
• Noran OZ laser-scanning confocal microscope
• Solamere Technology Yokogawa spinning disc confocal microscope with UV uncaging platform
imaging and physiology core access
The Nelson lab has access to the imaging and physiology core located directly below the main lab space. The core includes the following instrumentation.
• Zeiss LSM7 Multiphoton Microscope
• Yokogawa CSU-W1 Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopy System
• DeltaVision Microscope
• DeltaVision Soft WoRx Computer Server
• Nikon Ti-E Inverted Microscope with C2 Confocal
• Zeiss 2100 Radiance Multiphoton Microscope
• Computer Usage, Volocity Imaging Software
Electrophysiology & isolated vessel myography
In the Nelson Lab there are 4 dedicated electrophysiology rigs along with electrophysiology instrumentation on all of the microscopes. The lab also has 4 separate vessel myography setups with capabilities including: standard digital diameter tracking, sharp electrode membrane potential measurement, simultaneous diameter and Ca2+ indicator measurement, capillary to parenchymal arteriole hyperpolarization/dilation measurement, and force measurement (wire myograph).
Animals
Visit our collaborators and friends at CHROMus (Cornell) for information on some of the mice we use.
other vital equipment
