Price List

Dear users,

 

 Due to the construction work of the electrical renovation of the 6th floor CMU building C scheduled from Monday 1st May until Friday 26th May 2023, the services of the Electron Microscopy Facility (PFMU) will be temporally severely affected:

 

  • Morgagni and Tecnai 20 TEM microscopes, as well as, BAF060 freeze-fracturing/etching system will be out of order (completely switched off) from Friday 28th April 2023
  • Sample preparation services for TEM: fixation, dehydration, resin embedding, ultramicrotomy and cryo-sectioning, negative staining, freeze-fracturing will be temporally suspended
  • SEM imaging and FIBSEM auto slice and view remains fully operational as well as gold coating machine will be relocated to Helios SEM room (E01.3359.a) and critical-point drying device will be relocated to the Histology Facility room (D02.1553.a)

Please, keep in mind, during the renovation period there will be absolutely no access to the C06 floor section of the CMU building.

 

To resume the services back to normal:

 

  • Monday 29th to Tuesday 30th May: Morgagni and Tecnai 20 microscopes will be back on power and checked for any issues and aligned, to be available for the users from Wednesday 31st May 2023
  • All above mentioned services will be fully operational from Monday 29th May 2023

 

We would like to ask you to inform PFMU users from your group and to plan your experiments according the outlined schedule and we apologize for any inconvenience caused during this period.  

 

 Kind regards,

 PFMU staff

 

 

 

The PFMU also offers you the full service of ultra-thin sections  (from your chemically fixed sample(s), followed by dehydration, resin embedding, ultramicrotome cutting and sections contrasting), cryo-sections or cryo-fractures made by the platform's staff under the conditions and at the prices (in CHF) indicated below:

valid from 01.01.2020

University of Geneva

Academia

Industry

Remarks

Epon embedded ultra-thin sections

(CHF/sample)

50.-

100.-

200.-

1 semi-thin section on glass slide and 2 EM grids with contrasted sections/sample

Epon embedded re-cut of ultra-thin sections

(CHF/sample)

20.-

40.-

80.-

2 EM grids with contrasted sections/sample

Cryo-sections (CHF/sample)

+

Immuno-labelling1

120.- 2

(liquid nitrogen not included)

240.- 2

(liquid nitrogen not included)

480.- 2

(liquid nitrogen not included)

5-6 EM grids with cryo-sections/sample2

maximum 12 EM grids/immuno-labelling1

Immuno-labelling1

120.- 2

240.- 2

480.- 2

maximum 12 EM grids/immuno-labelling1

Cryo-fracture (CHF/sample)

50.- 2

(liquid nitrogen not included)

100.- 2

(liquid nitrogen not included)

200.- 2

(liquid nitrogen not included)

Price per sample and freeze run

2 replicates/sample2

Specimen preparation for SEM

(CHF/sample)

70.-

140.-

280.-

Price per sample

Helios Slice&View

(CHF/sample)

60.-

120.-

240.-

Price per sample

 

1  The immuno-labelling protocol and antibodies (primary and secondary coupled or not) are provided by the users. Results regarding the quality of cryo-sections and immuno-labelling cannot be guaranteed due to the nature of these techniques and the lack of experience in using specific antibodies in these techniques.

2  Research groups who wish to perform cryo-sections or cryo-fractures themselves or have the platform staff perform them, must also pay for the filling of liquid nitrogen dewars (40 liters for cryo-sections and 60 liters for cryo-fractures). For those who cannot obtain nitrogen through their department, the PFMU will obtain the necessary nitrogen from the CMU faculty service (loge des huissiers) and charge it to the users (price: on average 2.27 CHF/liter).

 

  • Special requests or additional work requested for samples processed by the PFMU will be invoiced differently in agreement with the requesting users.
  • The PFMU, within the limits of its means and availability, may also provide users with specific technical assistance in the development of a research project. The modalities will be discussed in advance in these particular cases.
  • Research groups wishing to acquire reagents or other small equipment commonly used for electron microscopy may contact the PFMU staff. These products will be re-invoiced to the groups at the cost price paid by the PFMU.
  • Finally, we would like to remind you that the PFMU supports and encourages all new technicians, students, postdocs or other researchers who would like to learn about ultrastructural imaging techniques. The PFMU team is at your disposal for any information.
  • For any other questions or information please contact Prof. Michelangelo Foti at 95204 or by e-mail (michelangelo.foti(at)unige.ch)

 The PFMU also offers you the access to instruments and auxiliary equipment (e.g. microscopes, microtomes, cryo-fracture apparatus, carbon and metal coaters and so on) under the conditions and at the prices (in CHF) indicated below:

valid from 01.01.2020

University of Geneva

Academia

Industry

TEM: Tecnai 20

(independent use after completed training)

50/hr1

100/hr

200/hr

TEM: Morgnani

(independent use after completed training)

50/hr1

100/hr

200/hr

Ultramicrotomes / Ultracryotomes

(independent use after completed training)

20/hr1

40/hr

80/hr

Leica UC7-FC7

(independent use after completed training)

30/hr1

 

60/hr

120/hr

Helios SEM

(operated by PFMU staff only)

50/hr2

100/hr2

200/hr2

Helios Slice&View

(operated by PFMU staff only)

200/two days run2

400/two days run2

1000/two days run2

Sputter Coater/coating run

(with assistance)

25.-

50.-

100.-

Critical Point Dryer/2 hrs run

(with assistance)

30.- 60.-  120.-

 

1The invoicing of the hours of use of the Transmission Electron Microscopes (Tecnai 20 and Morgnani) and ultramicrotomes for the independent users of the University of Geneva is subject to a reducing of charges during the calendar year (from January 1st to December 31st). The following rates apply:

                        50.- CHF/hr for the first 40 hrs

                        20.- CHF/hr for the next 40 hrs

                        10.- CHF/hr after first 80 hrs

 

2The use of the Helios microscope for SEM or Slice&View analyses implies an important consumption of reagents by the machine. That is why the analyses will be charged in all cases, even if the analyses are not satisfactory. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Morphometric analyses of TEM images can be performed on computers located in the next rooms to the microscopes (with appropriate software installed, are freely available and free of charge).

For 3D reconstructions or other image processing, the AMIRA software is available on a powerful computer located in the Bio-Imaging Facility (room C06.1742.A). The MAPS software used for correlative microscopy is also available on this computer. Technical support for this software is provided by the Bio-Imaging staff. Users of the PFMU must systematically register with the Bio-Imaging staff in order to apply the hourly rate of 5.-CHF.

 The PFMU also offers you the the training to independently operate the ultramicrotomes and TEMs under the conditions and at the prices (in CHF) indicated below:

valid from 01.01.2020

University of Geneva

Academia

Industry

Training to operate Ultramicrotomes1

200.-

400.-

800.-

Training to operate Cryo-ultramicrotomes1

400.-

800.- 1200.-

Introduction to TEM microscopes2

(mandatory for new users)

300.-

600.-

1000.-

 

1 Please contact Ms Pilar Ruga-Fahy or Ms Laura De Luca (tél. 95305, pfmu(at)unige.ch) for training before using the ultramicrotomes

2 Please contact Hervé Blanchard (tél. 95263, pfmu(at)unige.ch) for training before using the TEMs microscopes