Nikon Instruments Inaugurates Center of Excellence at Princeton University

Nikon Instruments, Inc. is pleased to announce the inauguration of the Center of Excellence within the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University.

Nikon has partnered with Princeton University to establish a cutting-edge microscopy facility that is mutually beneficial for both the University and Nikon.

This Center of Excellence is the latest of Nikon Instruments' partnerships with research facilities across the world dedicated to helping top academic institutions provide tools that better scientific understanding. The Center houses state-of-the-art imaging systems from confocal to super-resolution. This range enables scientists to investigate a variety of experimental systems, from single molecules to entire living organisms.

"These Centers make cutting-edge imaging tools accessible to the local scientific community and also serve as a platform for the free exchange of ideas, methodologies, and technologies between investigators and Nikon toward the mutual goals of advancing research and developing novel technologies. Nikon firmly believes that these types of partnerships between academia and industry are critically important for the rapid advancement of science and technology," said Steve Ross, Ph.D., General Manager, Products and Marketing, Nikon Instruments, Inc. "We are excited to be part of the high-caliber research scientists are pursuing at Princeton University. We hope this new facility will support the Princeton community in their groundbreaking research efforts."

Dr. Gary Laevsky, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, has been named the Center's Director. With Dr. Laevsky's extensive background in imaging, product management and research, he will provide expert technical guidance and support to the researchers utilizing the facility.

"I am honored to be the link between the scientific researchers, the academic community and the product specialists at Nikon," said Dr. Laevsky. "Princeton University is at the forefront of molecular biology research, and having the latest equipment is essential to keeping our research at the cutting edge. We will continue to work closely with Nikon to develop and enhance the equipment to continually meet the needs of these scientists."

The Nikon Center of Excellence houses the following equipment:

• Two A1R Resonant Scanning Confocals: These powerful point scanning confocal systems are equipped with high-sensitivity GaAsP detectors and high-speed resonant scanners enabling ultra-fast, low-level light imaging.  Combined with spectral detectors, these systems can also provide real-time spectral unmixing.
• N-STORM Localization-Based Super-Resolution Microscope: This super-resolution microscope provides dramatically enhanced resolution that is 10 times that of conventional optical microscopes, enabling visualization of structures at the single molecule level.
• Spinning Disk Confocal with Ablation and Photo-Stimulation on a Ti-E Inverted Microscope: This fast, 4D-imaging system is equipped with an ablation module and a galvo-driven laser scanner for photo-bleaching and photo-stimulation experiments. Nikon's Ti-E inverted research microscope is equipped with the award winning Perfect Focus System to maintain perfect focus throughout the imaging experiment.

Nikon and Princeton celebrated the Center of Excellence inauguration at a ceremony on Tuesday, July 21. Opening remarks were given by Pablo Debenedetti, Dean for Research, Princeton; Gary Laevsky, Director of the Center of Excellence; Jene Schwarzbauer, Associate Chair, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton; Jim Hamlin, Vice President for Sales, Nikon Instruments, Inc.; Steve Ross, General Manager, Product and Marketing, Nikon Instruments, Inc.; and Vince Haile, East Coast Regional Sales Manager, Nikon Instruments, Inc.