Quantitative Fluorescence Light Microscopy in the Undergraduate Curriculum

通过这个项目，生物系将定量光学显微镜引入本科课程。 该部门已经制定了一个全面的计划，让学生接触到现代显微镜技术与使用光学显微镜工作站。 这个工作站让大量学生接触到现代荧光成像技术，以研究细胞和组织的组织和分化的原理。 主要设备是Olympus IMT-2倒置荧光显微镜和Universal Imaging图像分析系统。 Olympus IMT-2倒置荧光显微镜提供了一个高度通用的工作平台。 图像分析系统有三个主要组成部分：（1）Metamorph Imaging System软件和基于Pentium的工作站，（2）Princeton Instruments冷却相机（带软件），以及（3）Textronix数字打印机。 系统软件在Microsoft Windows 3.1或更高版本下运行，使系统成为最容易使用的系统之一，即使是本科生。 Metamorph的内置处理和分析工具允许用户获取图像，然后增强其对比度，锐化，解卷积，重建以及测量和量化。 该项目的实施涉及在五个不同的课程中引入一些新的实验室：细胞生物学，组织学，发育生物学，内分泌学和生物学导论。

Through this project, the Biology Department is introducing quantitative light microscopy into the undergraduate curriculum. The department has developed a comprehensive plan to expose students to modern microscopy techniques with the use of a light microscopy workstation. This workstation exposes large numbers of students to modern fluorescence imaging techniques to study principles of cell and tissue organization and differentiation. The major equipment items are an Olympus IMT-2 inverted fluorescence microscope and Universal Imaging image analysis system. The Olympus IMT-2 inverted fluorescence microscope provides a highly versatile work platform. There are three major component parts to the image analysis system: (1) Metamorph Imaging System software and Pentium-based Workstation, (2) Princeton Instruments cooled camera with software, and (3) Textronix digital printer. The system software runs under Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher, making the system one of the easiest to use, even for undergraduate students. Metamorph's built-in processing and analysis tools allow one to acquire an image, then enhance its contrast, sharpen, deconvolute, reconstruct, and measure and quantify. Implementation of this project involves introducing a number of new laboratories in five different courses: Cell Biology, Histology, Developmental Biology, Endocrinology, and Introductory Biology.