Re: Has anyone prepared a poll for PI's to help plan future purchases?

Posted by Phillips, Thomas E. on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Has-anyone-prepared-a-poll-for-PI-s-to-help-plan-future-purchases-tp7588358p7588361.html

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****

I agree with Tim about PI's expressing keen interest in the latest technology but then never showing up to use it. The other key problem in a core is competing with individuals or departments that have similar instruments like a confocal. I think it is important to have a really well equipped basic confocal (e.g., White light laser, bunch of HyD (or equivalent detectors), environmental box) so that you have an edge over the lab that has a low end "personal" confocal that could siphon off your user base.

You also need a wide-field system to attract the labs that don't do any microscopy so you can groom them into becoming serious microscopists using confocal or whatever. This needs a really good camera attached to it.

After that, get people to commit a little money to bigger upgrades like STED or MP so you can see the depth of their interest.



Thomas E. Phillips, Ph.D
Professor of Biological Sciences
Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor
Director, Molecular Cytology Core
2 Tucker Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211-7400
573-882-4712 (office)
573-882-0123 (fax)
[hidden email]

http://www.biology.missouri.edu/faculty/phillips.html
http://microscopy.missouri.edu 

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Feinstein, Timothy N
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2018 8:07 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Has anyone prepared a poll for PI's to help plan future purchases?

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****

That definitely helps, but I have found that a lot more people say they are interested in a new technology than end up using it.  There's an army of beautiful, rarely used instruments out there.  For example I remember seeing a multiphoton head that spent its whole working life as a DAPI laser.  I endorse finding how many people are already committed to the kind of work where X technology will clearly help, along with new faculty who have hands-on experience with the tech in question, and giving weight to their needs.  

Best,


T

Timothy Feinstein, Ph.D.
Research Scientist

Department of Developmental Biology
University of Pittsburgh

 



On 6/13/18, 3:48 AM, "Confocal Microscopy List on behalf of Avi Jacob" <[hidden email] on behalf of [hidden email]> wrote:

    *****
    To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
    https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.umn.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fwa%3FA0%3Dconfocalmicroscopy&data=01%7C01%7Ctnf8%40PITT.EDU%7Cfc2f22b8b0234a880a1308d5d1020ede%7C9ef9f489e0a04eeb87cc3a526112fd0d%7C1&sdata=Rft5oE9YSYz%2FFlvXGCXbvwdZna2frywo%2Bmit2JyqXJI%3D&reserved=0
    Post images on https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imgur.com&data=01%7C01%7Ctnf8%40PITT.EDU%7Cfc2f22b8b0234a880a1308d5d1020ede%7C9ef9f489e0a04eeb87cc3a526112fd0d%7C1&sdata=IT1SdrEYBzxE09c4qvLDkVuMfSr3ptVV21vajOxWUDQ%3D&reserved=0 and include the link in your posting.
    *****
   
    Hi all,
   
    Before reinventing the wheel, I was wondering if anyone has prepared a poll
    to find out what equipment should be on one's list of future purchases.
    There is so much going on now in light microscopy, and so many things from
    multiple solutions for lightsheet, through FLIM, automated clearing
    systems, 2 and 3p, brightfield systems, re-scan systems, mass cytometry
    (not exactly light), simple live systems and more.
   
    Thanks,
    Avi
   
   
    --
    Avi Jacob, Ph.D.
    Head of Light Microscopy
    Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
    https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2FBIU-Microscopy&data=01%7C01%7Ctnf8%40PITT.EDU%7Cfc2f22b8b0234a880a1308d5d1020ede%7C9ef9f489e0a04eeb87cc3a526112fd0d%7C1&sdata=RR%2BoO5SQAWSsZw%2BlY7vPXXjcxdgl3aG105oFYIPZvI4%3D&reserved=0