About IRR Imaging

The Imaging Facility offers a number of microscopes to cover the needs of most scientists. We can image samples from a few cm down to 60nm.

Where are we?

Our Imaging Hub is located on the third floor of the IRR South Building, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 4-5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU. We have three smaller outstations in the IRR North and South buildings, in response to researcher’s needs.    

What services do we offer?

The facility is there to facilitate your research at all points of the imaging process.  We help researchers design their experiments, ensuring its goals are achievable and compatible with our microscopes.  We train researchers on microscope usage and help capture the best possible images.  We then help analyse these images so researchers get as much out of them as possible.

[Infographic] How the Facility work: help at every step: 1. We advise you in the planning of your experiments. 2. We help you aquire your images on our microscope. 3. We help you analyse your images to extract as much meaningful data as possible.

How to access IRR Imaging microscopes?

Microscope access is 24/7 after training and competency assessment. Booking is via our PPMS webpage. You must first register on the PPMS system and then contact us by e-mail to request training.  You will then be asked to describe your sample and experiment to ensure compatibility with our microscopes, and be directed to the best for your sample.

Email IRR Imaging

Tell us about your sample and your needs so we can guide you to the best microscope: What is the purpose of your experiment? Is your sample live? Histological stain? What dyes? Has it been cleared? Fluorescently labelled? How thick is it? What level of detail do you need? Unstained? What support do you need? What is the mounting medium? How will you analyse your picture?

Once a suitable microscope is chosen, we will then send you a help guide and train you. After training, you will be allowed to book the microscope during core hours. Once you have shown competency, you will have access 24/7.

Acknowledging the facility

The facility aims to serve users with top of the range equipment and know-how.  Our ability to attract funding to maintain and renew equipment, however, depends on acknowledgement of our work.

Acknowledging the contribution of our research facilities provides a mechanism to demonstrate their success thus increasing their visibility internally and externally. In turn, this generates additional income to the School through external collaborations. It raises our profile within the UK and internationally, and it strengthens our funding applications and REF cases.

You can use the standard text below to acknowledge the microscopy work performed at IRR Imaging:

"Microscopy and image analysis were carried out at and with the help of the IRR Imaging facility at the University of Edinburgh."

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