Dear Microscopists, Our microscopes are getting very busy again, but we still have to operate under COVID restrictions. Only one microscope can be used at a time in rooms 409, 527 and 530 (SAF building) and we have 30 minutes gaps between the sessions. This affects bookings on the microscopes at SAF. To mitigate the effect, especially for the widefield microscopes, we are implementing some changes: * The good old CF2 confocal microscope in room 527 was rarely used and has now left the facility to start a new live in a teaching lab, it is not part of the FILM facility anymore. This will bring our costs down and hopefully allow to keep charges at current levels even when FILM income deceases during the pandemic. Recent users have been informed, please contact FILM staff if you need an alternative. * THE WF3 microscope will now move into the free space in room 527, potentially in about 3 weeks' time. We will inform users about the new location when this will happen. The other microscope in this room is not so busy, so that this will allow more usable booking time on both, the WF1 and WF3. * The replacement of the CF3 upright confocal microscope with a used Zeiss LSM 780 system will now be postponed due budget constraints. We currently have only 2 staff (including myself) running the facility, so please be patient if it takes a bit longer for us to respond to your questions or requests. Watch this space for further FILM news!!! Have a great weekend. Andreas ---------------------------------------------------- Dr Andreas Bruckbauer FILM facility manager Sir Alexander Fleming Building South Kensington Campus Imperial College London Exhibition Road London, SW7 2AZ SAF 4th floor, open space desk 401 +44 (0)20 7594 2023 a.bruckbauer@imperial.ac.uk<mailto:a.bruckbauer@imperial.ac.uk> http://www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/facility-for-imaging-by-light-microscopy/ ----------------------------------------------------