MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope for Biological Research

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A grant has been awarded to Dr. E. H. Peterson and four co-PIs at Ohio University for the purchase of a laser scanning confocal microscope for biological research. Confocal microscopy is an essential tool in modern life science research, particularly in molecular biology and neuroscience. With it, the investigator uses one or more lasers to illuminate tissues, and computerized imaging to record and analyze the resulting data. The confocal microscope will be configured with four laser lines and specialized software for three-dimensional image reconstruction and quantification and for measurement of physiological processes. Costs of the confocal microscope will be shared by Ohio University and the Ohio Board of Regents. The confocal microscope will serve several federally funded research programs including (a) biomechanics of receptors in the inner ear, (b) molecular analyses of plant cell wall function, (c) interactions between endothelial cells and nanoparticles that can be used for drug delivery, (d) biochemical and physiological precess in insects, (e) neural networks in simple biological systems, (f) transgenic tomato and tobacco cells, and (g) calcium dynamics in epileptic brain tissues. The new confocal microscope will serve faculty and students in three colleges and six academic departments. It provides a state-of-the-art imaging facility for graduate and undergraduate student training in a traditionally underserved area: rural Appalachia. Ohio University's primary mission is undergraduate education, and the science and engineering departments have a strong tradition of mentoring undergraduate research through intramural programs and federal grants. The new confocal microscope will be available to these students through their research projects with science and engineering faculty. In addition, it will enhance existing course offerings and research training for the university's science and engineering graduate students.