UWA Launches $20 Million Multimodal Microscopy Suite
A new era of high-resolution imaging begins at the University of Western Australia, with a suite of world-class instruments designed to unlock discoveries at the subcellular level.
The University of Western Australia (UWA) has officially opened a new multimodal microscopy suite, representing a total investment of approximately $20 million. The funding was provided by the university, the state government, and the federal government.
Facilities and Equipment
The state-of-the-art facility houses several cutting-edge instruments, including:
- A Serial Block Face - Scanning Electron Microscope
- A high-resolution confocal microscope
- An upgraded Large Geometry Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (LG-SIMS) system, funded by Microscopy Australia
- Western Australia's first light sheet microscope, funded by ARC LEIF
- Australia's only high-resolution nano-SIMS, funded by UWA and supported by Microscopy Australia. According to UWA, this nano-SIMS is one of only three such instruments in the world.
Access and Support
The facility operates under Microscopy Australia's open access policy, meaning researchers from any institution can access the equipment and expertise. The suite is housed at UWA's Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, which serves as the Western Australian Microscopy Australia Facility.
Applications
The potential research applications for this technology span a wide range of fields, including energy, critical minerals, environment, agriculture, and health.
The nano-SIMS can capture elemental and isotopic images at incredibly high resolution, enabling analysis at the subcellular level. According to UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anna Nowak, this capability could be used to observe how a new drug functions inside a cell.
Funding
The investment was supported by NCRIS Microscopy Australia and ARC LEIF, in addition to contributions from the university and the state. Western Australian Minister for Science and Innovation, the Hon Stephen Dawson, officially launched the facility.