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ImTech Techniques

Imaging Technologies (ImTech) staff have a wealth and breadth of knowledge in cell biological techniques and regularly utilise a range of both routine and cutting edge techniques. Staying at the forefront of current, relevant methodology is an important aspect of our work and in addition to personal research areas, we strive to optimise cell biological techniques and make them available across the James Hutton Institute and to our collaborators. All staff are highly competent microscopists with specialisations in different areas.

Rhynchosporium secale growing on barleyThe list below is not exhaustive, but gives a flavour of the competencies of the group.

  • Light and fluorescence microscopy (including phase-contrast, differential interference contrast (Nomarski) imaging etc.).
  • Confocal laser scanning microscopy (including fluorescence, transmission and reflection imaging).
  • Wide variety of fluorescent protein methods including photobleaching, photoactivation, photo-switching, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and bi-molecular fluorescence (BiFC) methodologies.
  • Transmission electron microscopy (including contrast imaging and immuno-labelling techniques).
  • Fresh / frozen tissue sectioning. Wax embedding. In situ hybridisation. Epoxy / acrylic resin.
  • Digital imaging (macro and micro; light and fluorescence).
  • Image analysis (including quantification, 3-D rendering and deconvolution).
  • Experienced with a wide selection of expressible fluorescent proteins including various GFPs, YFP, CFP, DsRed, mRFP, tdTomato, mPlum, mOrange, mCherry, Kindling, Eos-FP, PA-GFP, PS-CFP, DRONPA, PA-GFP, Dendra2.
  • Wide selection of transgenic plant lines stably expressing fluorescent markers for specific organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, microtubules, actin, plasmodesmata, nuclei etc.
  • Transient expression systems including agrobacterium, micro-projectile bombardment and viral vectors.
  • Phloem tracers, sink-source transition imaging, xylem tracers, symplastic tracers.
  • Basic staining techniques, DNA, compartments, viability etc. 

Research

Areas of Interest


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The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.