Microscopes allow us to see the world on a scale unavailable to the naked eye. At 600,000× magnification, a transmission electron microscope can image the structure of a virus or even a cluster of atoms. It’s no wonder that the Microscopy Core at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is an essential shared resource.
Under the direction of Research Assistant Professor Erika Wee, the Microscopy Core provides CSHL with a variety of microscopes to image everything from plant seedlings to tumor cells, along with training and consultation to ensure the best image quality for every user. Notably, the core offers value not only to CSHL’s independent cancer research but also collaborations with Northwell Health and other institutions. “The microscopes reveal how cancer cells metastasize, interact with different kinds of cell types, and respond to cancer treatment,” Wee says.
With funding from the National Institutes of Health, the core comes stocked with cutting-edge microscopy hardware and AI-enhanced software, a powerful combination resulting in entirely new perspectives on human biology. As super-resolution imaging advances ever further, CSHL’s Microscopy Core shows that the greatest discoveries may yet await in the tiniest particles.
Watch the video above to get a closer look at the microscopy research happening right now at CSHL.