{"id":6381,"date":"2026-03-24T12:24:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T16:24:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/?p=6381"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:03:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T17:03:47","slug":"announcing-the-launch-of-carolina-microscopy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/announcing-the-launch-of-carolina-microscopy\/","title":{"rendered":"Announcing the Launch of Carolina Microscopy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-6382\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-1024x666.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"766\" height=\"498\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-1024x666.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-768x499.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-1536x998.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-2048x1331.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-600x390.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 766px) 100vw, 766px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\" data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">We\u00a0are excited to announce the<b>\u00a0launch of Carolina\u00a0Microscopy\u00a0<\/b>!\u00a0This single core unifies the four departmental microscopy cores \u2014 the\u00a0<b>Biology Microscopy Core<\/b>\u00a0(College of Arts &amp; Sciences),\u00a0the\u00a0<b>Hooker Imaging Core<\/b>\u00a0(Cell Biology &amp; Physiology),\u00a0<b>Microscopy Services Laboratory Core<\/b>\u00a0(Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), and\u00a0<b>Neuroscience Microscopy Core\u00a0<\/b>(Neuroscience Center) \u2014 \u00a0under the\u00a0<b>Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR)<\/b>.<\/div>\n<div data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">This change comes after careful consideration and input from all stakeholders, reflecting a shared institutional commitment to reducing internal competition, creating operational efficiencies,\u00a0and\u00a0ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of our shared research infrastructure.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Each site will continue\u00a0operating\u00a0in its current location with existing staff and equipment, but all will move under a single administrative and financial structure.\u00a0<b>Day-to-day operations will remain under the direction of the current core directors<\/b>, with\u00a0Michelle Itano\u00a0assuming a broader administrative role in coordination with the OVCR\u2019s core management team. A new, unified iLab\u00a0core page\u00a0goes live in\u00a0April\u00a0and a\u00a0<u><a id=\"OWA9d44eb6a-3b38-a0b0-7d72-74645ce97c91\" class=\"x_x_OWAAutoLink\" title=\"https:\/\/research.unc.edu\/carolina-microscopy\/\" href=\"https:\/\/research.unc.edu\/carolina-microscopy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-linkindex=\"0\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\">temporary unified webpage<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is\u00a0available\u00a0while the full website is\u00a0being\u00a0built.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>All costs, rates, and subsidy structures will be implemented by the OVCR on April 13,\u00a02026,\u00a0 in\u00a0compliance with institutional rate-setting policies.\u00a0<\/b>Please note that iLab integrates member subsidies\u00a0independently from the\u00a0core. For\u00a0questions\u00a0regarding\u00a0membership, please reach out directly\u00a0to your\u00a0Center Director.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>Please join us for our opening launch celebration in the Roper Hall Auditorium on Monday April 20, 2026 at 2pm<\/b>. Hear about the vision for the new unified core and get inspired by some of our amazing researchers\u00a0and industry and academic partners\u00a0who collaborate with the core.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>What does this mean for current users?\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0By and large it\u00a0will be\u00a0very similar\u00a0but with a different iLab page beginning in April (details to come\u00a0for current users), updated rates (approved by OSP)\u00a0and a unified website (under construction). The four cores already\u00a0operate\u00a0very similarly, so while we are taking the opportunity to\u00a0optimize\u00a0workflows and align core policies\u00a0where\u00a0appropriate, changes\u00a0to\u00a0users are\u00a0expected to be small.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">We deeply appreciate the support and partnership of\u00a0the UNC research community and\u00a0each department and school in this process.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Warm regards,<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p class=\"x_elementToProof\">Meghan Kraft (Director of Research\u00a0Core\u00a0Facilities, OVCR)<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_elementToProof\">Nat Prunet (Director of the Bio Microscopy Core)<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_elementToProof\">Wendy Salmon (Director\u00a0of the HIC)<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_elementToProof\">Pablo Ariel (Director of the MSL)<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_elementToProof\">Michelle Itano (Director of the NMC)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u00a0are excited to announce the\u00a0launch of Carolina\u00a0Microscopy\u00a0!\u00a0This single core unifies the four departmental microscopy cores \u2014 the\u00a0Biology Microscopy Core\u00a0(College of Arts &amp; Sciences),\u00a0the\u00a0Hooker Imaging Core\u00a0(Cell Biology &amp; Physiology),\u00a0Microscopy Services Laboratory Core\u00a0(Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), and\u00a0Neuroscience Microscopy Core\u00a0(Neuroscience Center) \u2014 \u00a0under the\u00a0Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR). This change comes after careful consideration and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/announcing-the-launch-of-carolina-microscopy\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Announcing the Launch of Carolina Microscopy\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55643,"featured_media":6382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","odd"],"acf":[],"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-scaled.jpg","featured_image_medium":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-300x195.jpg","featured_image_medium_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-768x499.jpg","featured_image_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-1024x666.jpg","featured_image_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/943\/2026\/03\/Save-the-datecarolina-microscopy-event-r2-150x150.jpg","featured_image_alt":"","category_details":[{"name":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/category\/news\/"}],"tag_details":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55643"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6381"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6381\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6385,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6381\/revisions\/6385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/corefacilities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}