Imaging & Optics Facility
The Imaging & Optics Facility (IOF) is one of nine Scientific Service Units (SSU) that supports scientists at Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). The Imaging & Optics facility provides an state-of-the-art infrastructure for advanced (optical) imaging applications. The Imaging and Optics infrastructure (582.3 m2) is distributed over the ISTA campus, and sub-divided in 3 main service hubs across ISTA campus:
- Central Building & Bertalanffy Foundation building (01/04 – 278.5 m2)
- Lab Building East (06 – 79.3 m2)
- Sunstone Building / Moonstone Building (23/24 – 224.5 m2)
Our state-of-the-art machine park consists of high-end microscope equipment, flow cytometry devices and diverse image analysis that allow scientists across disciplines (e.g. Chemistry, Material Science, Physics and Life Science) to utilize equipment that is at the forefront of the current available technologies to perform their research.
Our elaborate specificized machine park facilitates an extensive array of technologies to facilitate a wide variety of advanced applications and services. All available system specifications, technologies and applications can be explored on our Equipment & Technology page.
The Imaging & Optics Facility further provides trainings, courses, instrument demonstrations, workshops and is involved in outreach events (IOF events page).
For further facility details, please visit the Imaging & Optics Facility web page: iof.pages.ist.ac.at
On this site:
Services
The Imaging and Optics Facility is responsible for maintaining its machine park in a ‘’state of the art’ performance condition. This is done by routinely performing quality control monitoring, system troubleshooting and organizing repairs. Equipment purchases are done to ensure timely replacement, capacity maintenance and new technology implementation.
The Imaging & Optics Facility team provides the following services:
- Advanced Imaging Applications: user-oriented solutions for image acquisition technologies and applications.
- Image analysis: user-oriented solutions for analysis and automation.
- Cytometry Services: instrument training, support in data analysis and project based work-flow optimization.
- Slide Scanner Service: full Image Acquisition Service for Slide-Scanning.
- Automated Rental System: for Experimental Accessories, Optical Tools, (high-end) Objectives.
- Automation & Feedback microscopy: establishment of automated acquisition and/or feedback routines.
- Optical development: in-house developed adaptation and customization.
Service formats:
- User Training: basic and advanced application support for using the equipment, as well as project consulting.
- Assisted Sessions: single sessions with IOF staff support for specific applications or modalities
- Projects: collaborative support from IOF to establish assays, (automated) workflows or image analysis routines
To use our services, the following steps are needed:
- To use our services, the following steps are needed: Internal users and short term visitors: please follow instructions described here: Getting Started page. External customers need to establish a cooperation contract with ISTA before services from the Imaging & Optics Facility at ISTA can be used. Please contact us in case of interest.
- An ‘introduction to the facility’ as well as ‘equipment training’ are obligatory prior to first use of any facility equipment. Trainings are exclusively carried out by the Imaging and Optics Facility staff.
- Detailed guidelines can be found here
Equipment
Imaging & Optics Facility Machine park consisting of the following ‘Product Categories’:
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- Fluorescence-Assisted Cell Analyzer and -Sorters
- Widefield
- Confocal
- Multiphoton
- Spinning disk
- Super resolution
- TIRF
- Light sheet
- Force probing
- Stereo Microscopes
- Image analysis workstations with elaborate software options
- For advanced applications, additional accessories, optical tools and high-end objectives are available via our Automated Rental System
System Levels:
IOF machine-park houses a manifold of different imaging technologies that enable a wide spectrum of different applications of varying levels of complexity. To clarify the complexity of the different systems, we rank them into level of complexity (level 0-3), that relate to an default training & learning investment:
- Level 0: only requires ‘introduction to Imaging & Optics Facility’ (Stereo; Analysis Workstations, etc)
- Level 1: requires 2 × training (standard Widefield and Confocal applications)
- Level 2: requires 2 × training + 1 assisted session / additional training required (Spinning Disk, Multi Modal, Advanced Applications & Assays)
- Level 3: requires 2 × trainings + Assisted Sessions + System configuration by IOF staff* (e.g. AFM / Light-sheet* / Multi-photon)
Teaching and Outreach
The Imaging & Optics Facility is involved in different teaching and outreach events:
- Annual (Graduate School) Microscopy course
- Introduction to Newcomers to the Imaging & Optics Facility (mandatory)
- Open Campus Day
- Technological Workshops and Seminars
- Equipment demonstrations
Staff
Maria Serracanta Fernandez
Microscopy Quality Control/student empl.
Maximilian Schuster
Technician Microscopy & Cytometry
+43 2243 9000 2217
Contact
Institute of Science and Technology Austria
c/o Imaging & Optics Facility
Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
Office: Bertalanffy Foundation building, ground floor
Scientific Head of Imaging & Optics Facility:
Anna Kicheva
Contact for general facility questions:
iof@ist.ac.at
Contact Manager:
