[3dem] Polara microscope for sale

Wed Apr 18 10:04:18 PDT 2018

The University of Pittsburgh Polara microscope will be decommissioned in ~9 months to make way for a Krios, and as maintaining two such machines is beyond my means, I wanted to sound out any interest in purchasing it. Current performance is excellent and it has always been covered by a service contract with FEI (now owned by ThermoFisher). The Polara will be running until decommissioned and so would be available for inspection in full working condition. Routine use includes week-long EPU runs that show little sign of contamination or loss of contrast, although samples are typically thicker capsids of 500-1200Å diameter. Stage stability is also excellent.

The microscope was delivered in 2005, but was significantly repaired in 2013 to like-new state, and was updated to Windows 7 at the start of 2018 (including some new hardware). It comes complete *except* for a Falcon 3 camera that I will be transferring to another machine. Accessories available include:
* motorized apertures, with the new Windows 7 controller
* Gatan UltraScan 4000 Model 895 camera
* Gatan Orius Model 830 SC200 camera
* Cryo-transfer station, clip-ring tool and some number of cartridges that appears to be about 9
* Main chiller (Haskris R175) and objective lens chiller (Haskris R50), both water-cooled

In addition to any agreed-on purchase price, the purchaser would be responsible for removal of the Polara, its transport and set-up, and U Pitt may insist on dismantling by the manufacturer (ThermoFisher). Transfer of software licenses would have to be explored with ThermoFisher and Gatan but any costs would be the responsibility of the purchaser.

Please note that ThermoFisher will discontinue "regular support" for the Polara at the end of 2018 owing primarily to dwindling availability of parts for the cryo-stage. This does not mean that service necessarily will be unavailable, especially for the standard Tecnai TF30 parts of the instrument, but any potential buyer should contact ThermoFisher for an official statement of the service options for 2019 and beyond.

Anyone interested, please contact me as below.

James Conway
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James Conway, PhD.,
Professor, Department of Structural Biology
Director, Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology Graduate Program
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Biomedical Science Tower 3, Room 2047
3501 5th Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-412-383-9847
Fax:   +1-412-648-8998
Email: James.Conway at pitt.edu
Web:   http://www.structbio.pitt.edu/index.php/12-faculty/18-james-conway  
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James Conway, PhD.,
Professor, Department of Structural Biology
Director, Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology Graduate Program
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Biomedical Science Tower 3, Room 2047
3501 5th Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-412-383-9847
Fax:   +1-412-648-8998
Email: jxc100 at pitt.edu
Web:   http://www.structbio.pitt.edu/index.php/12-faculty/18-james-conway  
----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------
James Conway, PhD.,
Professor, Department of Structural Biology
Director, Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology Graduate Program
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Biomedical Science Tower 3, Room 2047
3501 5th Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-412-383-9847
Fax:   +1-412-648-8998
Email: jxc100 at pitt.edu
Web:   http://www.structbio.pitt.edu/index.php/12-faculty/18-james-conway  
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