The Histology and Microscopy Facility Center is embedded in the Biomedical Research Institute (Prof. Dr Ivo Lambrichts) and the Institute for Ma-

terials Research (Prof dr Jan D’Haen). The purpose of this Facility Center is to provide investigators at the University and in industry with expertise

in several different kinds of microscopy in order to enhance their research data. The facility is equipped to process any tissue type for all of the

university staff. Researchers at University advantage of this support mechanism to augment or fulfill their grant requirements. Many new ideas for

future funding include microscopy either for quality control or data acquisition.

Histological servicesThe samples for immunohistochemistry, a variety of histological stains, cryomicros-copy and electron microscopy are prepared in the Histology Facility. It has the exper-tise and ancillary equipment to perform all routine and nearly all specialized tasks required. The personnel operating the his-tology service have experience and skill in processing all tissue types (including bone and dental tissues). In addition to the usual H&E stains, a va-riety of custom staining is performed as investigators’ needs require. Immunohisto-chemistry (color or fluorescent) are routi-nely processed. This facility provides light microscopy using a wide variety of fixatives, stains, and spe-cial techniques. Images of the samples are captured with a Zeiss and Nikon micros-copes and digital NIKON cameras. Cryomi-croscopy and cryopreservation is performed using Planer computerized freezers and sta-ges. Ultrastructural observation of cells or tissues is accomplished either by transmis-sion or scanning electron microscopy.

•Cryosectioning

•Paraffinesections

•Ultravibrotomy(brainslices,toothpulpslices,softmaterialslices)

•Ultramicrotomy(serialsectioning)

•Bonemicrotomy(withandwithoutdecalcification)

•Cellculture-differentiationassay

•Labelingcells(stemcells,lymphocytes,macrophages)

with paramagnetic nanoparticles

•Electronmicroscopy(FEI)

•Cryopreservation(PlanerCM10)

•Virtualmicroscopy(ZEISS,Mirax)

•Axiovision,iTEMSIS,LNet(Nikon)imageanalysissystems

Overview tecHniques HistOlOgical services

Histology and Microscopy Facility Center

Biomedical Research InstituteInstitute for Materials Researchprof. dr. Ivo Lambrichts - prof. dr. Jan D’Haen

For additonal information: www.imo.uhasselt.be - Prof.Dr.IvoLambrichts-tel+32(0)11268506-ivo.lambrichts@uhasselt.be

www.uhasselt.be/techtransfer -dr.A.P.Bijnens-tel+32(0)11268017-annpascale.bijnens@uhasselt.be

Hasselt University – Campus DiepenbeekAgoralaan-BuildingD–B-3590Diepenbeek(Belgium)

Hasselt University, campus Diepenbeek, is located in the center of the Euregion-Maas-Rhine. A shortdistance from Liège, Maastricht, Eindhoven, Leuven, Brussels, Antwerp, Aachen, and Cologne.

Microscope facilitiesApart from standard light microscopictechniques, the microscope facilities dis-pose of state of the art apparatus to study the ultrastructure of cells, tissues, bacte-rial to epithelial cell interactions and cell-implant interfaces. The scanning electron microscope is used for cells, tissues, knockout mouse anatomy, and many other applications including aspects of material sciences. Bothmicroscopes use film anddigital photography for data acquisition.

Tothisend,aPhilipsEM208Stransmis-sion electron microscope and scanning electronmicroscopeswithEDAXarehou-sed in a constant temperature laboratory.Apart from this, the labhas facilities tousea9.4TeslaHR-MRIanddifferentty-pes of cone beam computer tomography in clinical and experimental settings.

•SAM:ScanningAcousticMicroscopy

•NanofocusX-rayimaging

•O(R)M:Optical(reflection)Microscopy

•SEM:ScanningElectronMicroscopy

(PhilipsXL30-FEG-FEIQuanta200FFEG-SEM-FEITecnaiG2Spirit)

•TEM:TransmissionElectronMicroscopy

•XRD:X-RayDiffraction

•HardnessMeasurements(µVickers,Rockwell)

•Profilometry

•SPM:ScanningProbeMicroscopy

•FT-IR:FourierTransformedInfra-redspectrometry

•SNOM:ScanningNear-fieldOpticalMicroscopy

•OpticalAbsorptionSpectroscopy

Overview Of MicrOscOpe facilities

research experience: in the dental fieldBecauseofthelong-standingexperienceofProfdrIvolambrichtsinthedentalfield,theHistologyandMicroscopicFacilityCenterhasaspecialfocusontechniquestoinvestigateboneanddentaltissues.Asaconsequence,theFacilitycenterhasampleofexperienceinthefollowing domains: •Reparativedentineformation•Dentinemicrostructure•Pellicleformationondentalfillingmaterials•Isolation,cellcultureanddifferentiationexperimentsofhumandentalpulpstemcells•Dentalandperiodontalmicroanatomy,histologyandpathology•Bone-implantinterfaces•Neuro-odontoblastinteractions•ToothBanking