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Skidmore College
Biology Department

The Lintilhac Light Microscopy Laboratory

This state-of-the-art light microscopy laboratory contains three microscopy work stations:

  • a station including an Olympus BX-60 light microscope equipped with DIC and fluorescence optics, and a high resolution video and digital camera system,
  • a work station including an Olympus BH-2 light microscope equipped with DIC and fluorecence optics, high resolution video camera system and automated flash system for monitoring fast cellular events, and
  • a station containing an Olympus IX70 inverted light microscope with phase and fluorescence optics and equipped with a Narashige micromanipulator and microinjector for cell processing and injections. The microscopy stations are networked via an ImagePro Plus II software program for image capture and analysis.

The light microscopy facility is named after the Lintilhac Foundation of Burlington, Vermont. This foundation has provided grants for purchase of much of the equipment in this laboratory. Some equipment was also acquired via NSF grants.

Over the past few years, students have performed such projects as:

  1. video-recording of actin-mediated, cytoplasmic streaming in plants, and fungal pathogen infection of sunflower leaves
  2. experimental analysis of calcium channel and calmodulin inhibitors in primitive plants,
  3. analysis of graviperception in green algae and
  4. immunocytochemical analysis of cytoskeletal and wall components of plant cells.