Imaging and on-site consulting company becomes Purdue Research Park affiliate

DSimaging LLC provides instructional courses and imaging services utilizing high-resolution scanning electron microscopes (pictured) and transmission electron microscopes. DSimaging became an affiliate of the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette. (Purdue Research Park photo)

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A company that provides high-end imaging services, consulting and on-site educational courses for clients has become an affiliate of the Purdue Research Park.

Debra M. Sherman founded DSimaging LLC in 2011. The company provides scanning and transmission electron microscopy, which creates highly magnified images of samples such as nanoparticles, tissues, biological samples and food products. Sherman previously was director of Purdue's Life Science Microscopy Facility, which provides imaging services and training to researchers from Purdue.

"Electron imaging instruments are quite costly, often $1 million or more to purchase, with significant yearly maintenance costs and operators' salaries," Sherman said. "Companies often prefer to outsource imaging as needed rather than incur these recurrent costs."

Sherman said DSimaging's clients come from the pharmaceutical, biomedical, food processing, agriculture and nanomaterial sectors.

"We are interested in developing a close relationship with a select group of clients," she said. "They will benefit by having personalized service from a small company interested in working closely with them to solve problems that require high-resolution imaging."

"Companies often cross-train employees or experience turnover that requires new employees to be trained. Or they may want to purchase an electron microscope but do not have the background to make an informed choice of vendor, model and features," Sherman said. "For a set fee we travel to the company to give intensive courses that are instrument vendor independent. The courses include basic understanding of imaging principles, terminology and special features."

DSimaging became an affiliate of the Purdue Research Park because Sherman wanted to retain the relationship developed with Purdue University over the last 20 years.

"We hope to help Purdue by linking researchers with clients who share similar interests. Faculty members are willing to consult and share their knowledge in ways that benefit their research programs and assist external clients," she said. "We also feel we can assist companies within the Purdue Research Park, and being an affiliate provides for networking directly with them."

The mission of DSimaging is to provide the highest quality imaging to our clients, along with courses in the principles of Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy at their site. In addition, we do consulting on laboratory management and other related areas.

The Purdue Research Park, with four locations across Indiana, has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The park network is home to about 200 companies that employ 4,000 people and are located in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany.

Purdue Research Park contact:

Steve Martin, 765-588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org