MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope at an Undergraduate College

奥柏林学院的林恩·比安奇博士和她的同事获得了购买共聚焦显微镜的资助。共聚焦显微镜将用于加强和扩大这些教员现有的研究项目。具体来说，该仪器将用于研究：1)发育中的内耳细胞的细胞组织；2)哺乳动物外胚层细胞的发育命运；3)释放或响应促性腺激素释放激素的神经元的形状和方向；4)秀丽隐杆线虫突变体肌肉细胞结构异常；5)侧线和内耳神经突的突起；硬骨鱼前脑的组织。这些项目将受益于共聚焦显微镜提供的细胞细节和分辨率的提高。所描述的每一个研究项目都将探讨一些基本问题，如细胞在发育过程中是如何组织的，神经系统是如何连接的，以及细胞结构与细胞功能的关系。这些发现将直接关系到研究者的特定领域，以及理解一般的生物系统。拟议的工具不仅是维持高质量的教师研究所必需的，而且在招收和培养本科生方面也将发挥重要作用。奥伯林学院有提供优秀的科学教育的历史，以不同的本科学生，目前正在建设一个新的，6500万美元的科学中心，这将进一步加强本科科学培训。这些学生直接参与教师正在进行的研究，现在将有机会使用最先进的共聚焦显微镜。此外，教师将为高年级的实验课程开发利用共聚焦显微镜的实验练习，并为一年级学生提供为期一个月的实习计划。奥柏林大学的教师发现，在课堂上向学生介绍这种仪器，往往会激励他们追求个人的本科研究项目，并进入科学研究生课程。总之，共聚焦显微镜对于扩大当前和未来的教师研究项目，以及加强本科生研究和课堂培训至关重要。奥伯林学院校园内共聚焦显微镜的存在对于学院当前和长期的研究和培训需求都将具有巨大的价值。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Lynne Bianchi and her colleagues at Oberlin College to purchase a confocal microscope. The confocal microscope will be used to enhance and expand the existing research programs of these faculty members. Specifically, the instrument will be used to investigate: 1) the cellular organization of developing inner ear cells; 2) the developmental fate of mammalian epiblast cells; 3) the shape and orientation of neurons that release or respond to gonadotropin releasing hormone; 4) the structural abnormalities of muscle cells from mutant C. elegans; 5) the projections of lateral line and inner ear neurites; and 6) organization of the teleost forebrain. These projects will benefit from the increased cellular detail and resolution provided by confocal microscopy. Each of the research projects described will investigate fundamental questions such as how cells are organized during development, how the nervous system is wired, and how cell structure relates to cell function. The findings will have direct relevance to the particular field of the investigator, as well as to understanding biological systems in general. The proposed instrument will not only be necessary for maintaining high-quality faculty research, but will also play an important role in recruiting and training undergraduate students. Oberlin College has a history of providing outstanding science education to a diverse body of undergraduate students and is currently constructing a new, $65 million Science Center which will further enhance undergraduate science training. These students are directly involved in the faculty member's ongoing research and will now have the opportunity to work with a state-of-the-art confocal microscope. Additionally, faculty will develop lab exercises that utilize confocal microscopy for upper division laboratory courses and a month long internship program for first year students. Oberlin faculty have found that introducing students to such instrumentation in a class often inspires them to pursue individual undergraduate research projects and enter graduate programs in the sciences. In summary, the confocal microscope will be crucial to expanding current and future faculty research programs, as well as enhancing undergraduate research and classroom training. The presence of a confocal microscope on the Oberlin College campus will be a tremendous value for both the immediate and long-term research and training needs of the college.