INTRODUCTION
The BSD Microscopy Core merges separate facilites:

• Abbott Confocal Microscopy Facility (120 and 129)
• Digital Light Microscopy Facility (N-710)

The Microscopy Core was created in 1997 to better serve the research needs at the University of Chicago. The individual facilites were established as user facilities to provide state-of-the-art microscopy imaging stations that otherwise would be prohibitively expensive for individual laboratories to obtain on their own. Though we are not a service facility (i.e. we do not routinely perform the experiments for the users), we will provide assistance on the imaging aspects of the user's experiment. We have developed a strong and broad base of users and continue to train new users. Cancer Center and Digestive Disease members receive a discount because of their funding of the facilities.

Dr. Vytas Bindokas is the director for the Microscopy Core. The facilities oversight committee consists of Drs. Ben Glick, Vicki Prince, Marsha Rosner, Gopal Thinakaran, and Jerrold Turner. The technical directors (Vytas Bindokas, Shirley Bond, and Christine Labno) are responsible for the day-to-day operations, maintaining and upgrading the equipment, training users, and providing user support.