| Biological Imaging |  | | |
 Biological imaging has become an indispensable tool in modern Medical and Biological research. The Biological Imaging Unit is the institute's core facility for Microscopy and Imaging studies and provides tools and expert guidance to scientists interested in modern microscopy techniques and digital image processing and analysis.
We provide a state-of-the-art optical imaging infrastructure which is unique in Greece and one of the most modern in Europe.
Our primary focus is to provide help and consultation to BRF investigators. However the unit is also open to external users and/or collaborators. Please contact us for more information.
 Contact Information
Applications
Infrastructure
Equipment
Publications
People
+ Contact Information
BIU is located on the first floor of E3 building. Entrance from the lobby of Experimental Surgery Centre.
Biological Imaging Unit
Centre of Basic Research I
4 Soranou tou Efessiou
Athens, 11527, Greece
Fax: +30 210 6597 545
e-mail: biu  bioacademy.gr
Pagakis Stamatis N., MSc, PhD
Scientific Director
Telephone: +30 210 6597 481
Email: spagakis bioacademy.gr
Rigana Eleni, PhD
Microscopy Technician
Telephone: +30 210 6597 482
e-mail: hrigana bioacademy.gr
+ Applications
The facility's equipment currently enable a long list of applications. Please contact us to discuss your specific application requirements, as the following list can not be exhaustive.
- Confocal Microscopy
- Wide-field microscopy
- FRAP/FLIP (Photobleaching Experiments)
- FRET (Energy Transfer Experiments)
- Live cell Imaging
- Quantitative Ion Imaging (Calcium or pH Imaging)
- Image Deconvolution
- 3D Visualisation and Measurements
- Probe co-localisation
- Multi - Fluorescent Protein detection (Spectral Unmixing)
- Colour Imaging
- Image Analysis
For a detailed list of the currently available equipment, see our Equipment section.
+ Infrastructure
The unit occupies an area of about 100m2 and is being equipped in phases. Currently there is a confocal microscope (Leica TCS SP5), a calcium Imaging system (PTI RatioMaster) and a number of digital microscopes with monochrome and colour cooled CCD cameras. There are plans to add more equipment and techniques in the near future.
There is also an image analysis suite with a number of modern computers loaded with specialised Image analysis software packages (Volocity, Matlab, ImageJ etc). All computers are linked via a fast (Gbit) network to a data server (RAID6 - NAS server) for safe, unified storage.
For more details, please visit our Equipment section. 
+ Equipment
Confocal Microscope
The confocal miscroscope in BIU is a Leica TCS SP5 with the dual (Tandem) Scanner.
The Tandem Scanner combines two options in one system: a conventional, slow but accurate scanning system - ideal for morphological imaging and three dimensional structure analyses, and a resonant scanning system - ideal for high speed confocal imaging. Merging both systems into one single device, the TCS SP5 is the ideal solution for imaging core facilities and other multi-user environments.
Specifications:
- Laser lines at 405, 458, 476, 488, 496, 514, 561, 594 and 633nm.
- Fluorophores: big range, including the most popular fluorescent proteins CFP, YFP, GFP and DS-Red.
- FRET and FRAP capability.
- Environment control enclosure (both for temperature and CO2 control) on an inverted microscope.
- Fully automated stage in all 3 dimensions xyz
- Long term, multi-colour, multi-location time-lapse experiment capability.
Leica SP5 Confocal Microscope
Quantitative Photometry and Imaging system - PTI RatioMaster
A combination of a dual channel photometry and low level imaging system, for quantitative fluorescence microscopy of live cells from PTI - Photon Technology International
Specifications:
- Nikon TE 2000U fluorescence microscope
- Dual emission channel photometers
- Intensified CCD camera (PTI-IC200) with the Image Master software package.
- DeltaRAM X, high speed, random access, dual adjustable channel, monochromator. Excitation range 330-650nm
- Video based edge detection system
- 75-Watt compact arc Xe (Xenon) bulb
Digital Imaging Microscopes
Two upright and one inverted Leica microscopes with digital cooled CCD cameras for high resolution fluorescence or bright field imaging - Leica DFC-350FX (Monochrome 1.3Mpixel)
- Leica DFC-500 (Colour 12Mpixel)
Computing
Two dual-screen, powerful windows (XP and XP64), purpose-built computers for image analysis.
Three standard windows XP computers for routine imaging and analysis work
One 1.9TB NAS server for the safe keeping of image data
Image Analysis Software
- LAS AF: Leica Microsystems Confocal Imaging Software Suite
- VOLOCITY: A complete imaging system for Life Science research from Improvision. Four integrated but separate modules provide a full suite of tools for 3D image restoration, visualization, measurement, tracking and charting.
- Image J : The standard in quantitative Image Analysis of microscopy Images.
- MATLAB: A high-level programming language and an interactive technical computing environment providing functions for algorithm development, Data analysis and visualization and Numeric computation.
+ Publications
Publications by BIU staff and by other BRF scientists who acknowledge BIU contribution.
2007 Vafiadaki, E., D. Sanoudou, D.A. Arvanitis, et. al.: Phospholamban Interacts with HAX-1, a Mitochondrial Protein with Anti-apoptotic Function, J. Mol. Biol. (2007) 367,65?79.
2007 Dimas K., S. Hatziantoniou, S. Tseleni et. al.: Sclareol induces apoptosis in human HCT116 colon cancer cells in vitro and suppression of HCT116 tumor growth in immunodeficient mice. Apoptosis.
2006 Coles M.C., H. Veiga-Fernandes, K. E. Foster, T. Norton, S.N. Pagakis, B. Seddon and D. Kioussis: Role of T, NK cells and IL7/IL7r interactions during neonatal maturation of lymph nodes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 103(36):13457-62.
2006 Zhu, D., Sullivan K. and S. N. Pagakis: Adaptive Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm for Segmentation of Biomedical Colour Images. IEEE-ITAB Proc, GR.
2006 Zhu, D., F. Prin, A. Gould and S. N. Pagakis: Quantitation of cell sorting using morphological image analysis. IAfM Proc, UK.
2005 Zhu, D., Mohun, T. and S. N. Pagakis: Point Spread Function Modelling for the Restoration of 3D Images from the Episcopic Fluorescence Image Capturing System. IEEE-IFMBE Proc 11(1).
+ People
Pagakis Stamatis N., MSc, PhD
Staff Research Scientist - Professor Level
Center of Basic Research I
Telephone: +30 210 6597 481
Fax: +30 210 6597 545
e-mail: spagakis bioacademy.gr
Rigana Eleni, PhD
Microscopy Technician
Telephone: +30 210 6597 482
Fax: +30 210 6597 545
e-mail: hrigana bioacademy.gr
Marina Katsani
MS Student
Telephone: +30 210 6597 482
Fax: +30 210 6597 545
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