An integrated Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM) tool, the FEI iCorr, for the UBC Bioimaging Facility

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Arguably, the fastest growing field in microscopy related imaging is a technique generally called Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy, or CLEM for short. CLEM enables imaging of the same sample with both light and electron microscopy, which is essential for elucidating structure-function relationships at different scales. This technique allows the researcher to locate specific structures such as proteins that have been tagged with fluorescent reporters, and then, by determining their exact location within the sample, to quickly locate the specific structures and obtain exquisite ultrastructural detail using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Previously, CLEM has been both technically challenging and time consuming; the major issue being the inability to easily “re-locate” the same area in the electron microscope that was imaged with the light microscope. This project proposes to purchase the FEI iCorr, a unique light (fluorescence) microscope that will be integrated with an existing transmission electron microscope. The iCorr allows researchers to seamlessly image the same sample with both fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy without having to transfer between microscopes, thusly, removing both the technical challenges and vast time consumption of traditional CLEM. The FEI iCorr requires an FEI Tecnai TEM to function properly. The proposed FEI iCorr will be integrated onto an existing FEI Tecnai TEM located within the UBC Bioimaging Facility. This tool will become indispensable for groups studying: mechanisms that drive plant cell development; the structure and function of cellular components in pest-resistant plants; host-pathogen interactions; the development and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier; as well as groups studying new iridescent materials made from cellulose and chitin (both naturally occurring) nanocrystals, and how to determine the cellular localization of newly developed fluorescent nanoparticles. The necessity of this important tool is highlighted with the amount of financial support from various institutional groups this proposal has received. The research departments that will immediately benefit from the installation of the FEI iCorr include Botany, Zoology, Microbiology and Immunology, Chemistry, and the Michael Smith Labs. As a result, each department has committed financial contributions toward the purchase of the FEI iCorr. Due to the variety of research groups requiring access to the FEI iCorr and the subsequent important need for this imaging tool at the University of British Columbia, both the institution as well as the Faculty of Science have committed significant finances to this project.