A Confocal Microscope for Research and Teaching in Biology and Neuroscience

Naegele NSF 0070352A共聚焦显微镜用于生物学和神经科学的研究和教学。一台蔡司510共聚焦显微镜将用于卫斯理大学发育生物学和神经科学的研究和培训。这种新型共聚焦显微镜将使三位主要教员用户和他们的研究实验室成员能够研究活胚胎中细胞和蛋白质的动态运动，并识别脑组织厚切片中细胞之间的细胞间连接。此外，关于共聚焦显微镜的培训将是生物系研究生高级显微镜课程的重要组成部分，包括共聚焦、免疫荧光和电子显微镜。共聚焦显微镜设备是卫斯理大学科学中心先进仪器设备的一部分。该设施已经包含扫描和透射电子显微镜，一个相邻的湿实验室，一个组织切片室，以及一个带有相关数字扫描仪和其他图像处理设备的电脑室。该共聚焦显微镜的主要用户，dr。Devoto、Kirn和Naegele以及他们实验室的成员都专注于脊椎动物的发育。德沃托实验室将专注于斑马鱼活体胚胎中迁移肌肉细胞所使用的遗传和分子引导线索。Kirn实验室将研究成年鸟类大脑中神经元替代和神经发生的机制。Naegele实验室将研究调节程序性细胞死亡的细胞和分子信号，以及啮齿动物大脑皮层和视觉系统中垂死神经元的吞噬。生物学、分子生物学和生物化学系的另外五名教员也计划偶尔使用共聚焦，他们研究各种生物学问题，从转录因子在胚胎发育中的作用到酵母的细胞周期调节。辉瑞公司的一个校外集团计划每月使用2天。来自这个校外小组的资金将是长期维持共聚焦系统，包括服务合同的重要收入来源。我们预计这台共聚焦显微镜和相关的研究项目将对卫斯理大学在发育生物学和神经生物学领域的研究和培训产生重大影响。卫斯理大学科学培训项目的目标是为本科生、研究生、博士后和访问科学家提供高质量的研究经验。这种实践训练对于从事科研、技术和教育工作至关重要。卫斯理大学（Wesleyan University）的特别倡议促进了女性和少数族裔在科学领域的发展，并为残疾学生提供了机会。预计新的共聚焦显微镜将有助于了解发育中的胚胎细胞如何迁移，形成连接，以及一些细胞如何经历程序性细胞死亡作为其正常发育计划的一部分。这些研究最终将使我们更好地理解脊椎动物的大脑和身体是如何在发育过程中构建的，并在整个生物体的生命中得到维持。

Abstract Naegele NSF 0070352A Confocal Microscope for Research and Teaching in Biology and Neuroscience A Zeiss 510 Confocal Microscope will be used for research and training in developmental biology and neuroscience at Wesleyan University. This new confocal microscope will enable the three primary faculty users and members of their research laboratories to study the dynamic movements of cells and proteins in living embryos and to identify intercellular junctions between cells in thick sections of brain tissue. In addition, training on the confocal microscope will be an important component of a Biology department graduate-level course in advanced microscopy, including confocal, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy. The confocal microscope facility is part of an Advanced Instrumentation Facility in the Science Center at Wesleyan University. This facility already contains scanning and transmission electron microscopes, an adjacent wet laboratory, a room for tissue sectioning, and a computer room with associated digital scanners and other image processing equipment. The projects to be carried out by major users of this confocal microscope, Drs. Devoto, Kirn, and Naegele, and members of their laboratories, each focus on vertebrate development. The Devoto laboratory will focus on the genetic and molecular guidance cues used by migrating muscle cells in living zebrafish embryos. The Kirn laboratory will address the mechanisms of neuronal replacement and neurogenesis in the brains of adult birds. The Naegele laboratory will study cellular and molecular signals regulating programmed cell death and engulfment of dying neurons in the rodent cerebral cortex and visual system. Occasional use of the confocal is also planned by five additional faculty in the Biology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Departments who study a variety of biological problems ranging from the role of transcription factors in embryo development to the cell cycle regulation in yeast. Additional minor use by one extramural group Pfizer, Inc. is planned for 2 days/month. Funds from this extramural group will be a significant source of revenue for long-term maintenance of the confocal, including service contracts. We anticipate that this confocal microscope and the associated research programs will have a significant impact on research and training at Wesleyan University in the fields of developmental biology and neurobiology. The objective of our science training programs at Wesleyan University is to provide high-quality research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists. This hands-on training is of fundamental importance for careers in scientific research, technology, and education. Special initiatives at Wesleyan University advance women and minorities in science, as well as providing access for students with disabilities. It is anticipated that the new confocal microscope will contribute significantly to a basic understanding of how cells in the developing embryo migrate, form connections, and how some undergo programmed cell death as part of their normal developmental plan. These studies will ultimately lead to a better understanding of how the vertebrate brain and body are constructed during development and maintained throughout the life of the organism.