Bioimaging APEX - Expert anatomic pathology platform for research
Address(es)
INRA-Oniris
UMR0703 PAnTher
La Chantrerie
44307 Nantes Cedex 3
Contact(s)
Manager
:Tel. :
Head of pathology veterinary
:Tel. :
Head of fluorescence bio-imaging
:Tel. :
Technical offers
Located within the buildings of Oniris in Nantes, APEX provides the scientific community with expert services in animal histopathology and tissue and cell phenotyping. APEX has recognized expertise in a wide range of animal species: zebrafish, non-human primates, rodents, pigs and dogs. APEX uses tissular morphological exploration and fluorescence bioimaging for evaluating the impact of disease and exogenous agents on the living organism.
Applications
APEX’s main activity is the study of animal tissue, in healthy and diseased animals.
Areas of scientific competence include:
• Validation and characterization of animal models,
• Physiopathological characterization of diseases (genetic disorders, infectious diseases and tumours),
• Tracing of exogenous agents (infectious and therapeutic agents, markers, …) in cells and tissues,
• Developing preclinical studies and regulatory toxicopathology,
• Ecotoxicology and evaluating the impact of xenobiotics.
Scientific expertise
APEX favours an innovative approach involving a team composed of three veterinary pathologists, which are members of the European College of Veterinary Pathologists (ECVP), and an engineer specialized in fluorescence bioimaging, all of whom form a highly skilled specialized technical team.
APEX has acquired widely recognized expertise in muscular pathology and neuropathology.
Equipment
• Sectioning equipment (vibratome, microtome, cryostat, ultramicrotome) for all types of tissue,
• Automated slide stainer,
• Differential interference contrast microscopy,
• Spectral confocal microscopy (from the second semester of 2013),
• Biphotonic microscopy (from the first semester of 2014),
• Wide-field fluorescence/brightfield microscopy with motorized stage,
• Imaging analysis (available software: NIS, ImageJ, Fiji).
Access
The core facility is open to all academic and privately-funded research teams upon approval of the User Charter. Applications are submitted to and reviewed by the local management committee, which will then establish a cost estimate.
Work can be carried out as:
• A scientific collaboration aimed at developing and implementing methodologies for tissue analysis in compliance with specific requirements,
• An offer of services carried out to meet customer specifications,
• A training scheme for research staff (sampling techniques, fluorescence bioimaging, histomorphometry).
APEX provides guidance and help for interpreting histological slides and offers histopathological diagnosis services for identifying the causes underlying spontaneous morbid processes in an experimental context.
