Nikon donates advanced Eclipse Ti microscope for Austrian Muscle Research

High tech and human commitment

April 13, 2011 – Nikon Instruments Europe has generously donated a high end research Eclipse Ti inverted microscope to the Harley-Charity Scope project, part of the Harley Davidson Charity Funds Austria, for use by the charity, Austrian Muscle Research (ÖMF). ÖMF supports projects for research into muscle diseases and is part of the Treat NMD Neuromuscular Network.

Discussions with Professor Reginald Bittner, Director of the Neuromuscular Research Unit at the Centre for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, and the Vice President of ÖMF, led to a realisation of the enormity and consequences of a diagnosis of a neuromuscular disease, in particular the short life span and lack of treatment for sufferers.

Antje Plaschke-Schlütter,MMI, Harald Bayer, Nikon Instruments Austria, Ferdinand Fischer, HD Charity-Funds Austria, Wolfgang Schütz, Rektor Med Uni Vienna, Sumio Eimori, Nikon Instruments Europe, Günther Bernert, ÖMF, Reginald Bittner, Med Uni Vienna

Nikon Europe, working through the auspices of the Harley-Charity Scope project, took the decision to help the charity by supplying Professor Bittner with the means to progress his research, with its most advanced inverted microscope, the Eclipse Ti.

In addition, Harald Bayer, Manager Nikon Instruments Austria, undertook the coordination of the four project teams involved: ÖMF, Harley Davidson Charity-Funds Austria, Nikon Instruments Europe and MMI, Medizinische Universität Wien, Forschung, enabling the Harley-Charity Scope project to be realised within only two months.

Mr Sumio Eimori, President of Nikon Instruments Europe commented, “Research into neuromuscular disease is vital and we are pleased to be able to donate one of our most advanced imaging systems to this important Harley-Charity Scope project. Through this, we can anticipate providing Professor Bittner and his team with the tools they need to investigate further in this area.”

The microscope was formally presented early in April prior to the world premiere of a documentary on the Harley-Davidson Charity Tour 2010 which helped raise funds for Austrian Muscle Research.

Source: Nikon Instruments Europe B.V.