MRI-RUI: Acquisition of the C1 Confocal Microscopy System for Cellular Analysis in the Biological Sciences

MRI-RUI：购买用于生物科学细胞分析的 C1 共焦显微镜系统

• 批准号: 0215775
• 负责人: Robert Kurt
• 金额: $ 14.41万
• 依托单位: Lafayette College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-07-01 至 2005-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0215775&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; RUI; Acquisition; C1; Confocal

Abstract:A grant has been awarded to Dr. Robert A. Kurt at Lafayette College to purchase a Confocal Microscopy System. The confocal system is capable of three-color fluorescent imaging and three-dimensional cellular analysis. Consequently, three different proteins can be analyzed with respect to each other and their location within a cell. This is ideal for studying protein-protein or cell-cell interactions and to discern the potential function of recently identified proteins. With the acquisition of this instrument many exciting projects can be carried out. The Confocal Microscopy System will enable Lafayette faculty to modify and enhance courses to include training in sophisticated research techniques, expand the areas of research for both students and faculty, and finally contribute to the advancement of knowledge within the field of biological science by exploring molecular and cellular interactions as they occur within living cells. The research projects to be performed with this instrument will focus on a variety of biological sciences including cellular, molecular, developmental biology and immunology. Some of the projects supported in this proposal include an examination of the molecular organization of G protein coupled receptors and associated molecules during T cell migration. For this project proteins utilized by T cells for migration will be labeled so that protein-protein interactions can be investigated as the T cells respond to chemokines. The chemokine receptor signaling cascade in T cells is poorly defined, thus this project should uncover some of the basic steps utilized for T-cell migration. Another project that will be carried out with the microscope will be an examination of the cross-regulation between T cell and chemokine receptor signaling pathways. This project will examine the interactions between proteins utilized by both the TCR and chemokine receptor signaling pathways in order to understand how these different pathways influence each other. Neural development and communication in Drosophila melanogaster is another area of research and training that will be enhanced with the confocal microscopy system. In particular the instrument will aid in the studies of bang-sensitive mutants. One project will investigate the effects of these mutants on mitochondria and their function. Another set of experiments is to examine the ability of third instar larvae of bang-sensitive mitochondria to maintain their electrochemical gradient. The broader impact of the proposal is that these projects will be carried out by undergraduate students and as a result facilitate the research, research training and education of students for careers in science. Some of the research training activities in the Department of Biology at Lafayette College include Independent Study, Honors Thesis, the Excel Scholar Program, and research-oriented courses such as Electron Microscopy and Tissue Culture courses. Thus, the Confocal Microscopy System will be utilized to further strengthen the curriculum and research in Biological Sciences at Lafayette College. The Biology Department has a long history of encouraging student participation in research. By graduation many majors have had at least two semesters of extensive research experience. Often, this in depth exposure to research fuels a desire to pursue post-graduate study. Additionally, several courses will be modified to include training in specimen preparation and analysis with confocal fluorescence microscopy. Consequently, it is anticipated that there will be three faculty members and approximately fifty students each year that will use the instrument.

摘要：拉斐特学院的罗伯特·A·库尔特博士获得了一项资助，用于购买共焦显微镜系统。该共聚焦系统能够进行三色荧光成像和三维细胞分析。因此，可以分析三种不同的蛋白质之间的相互关系以及它们在细胞中的位置。这是研究蛋白质-蛋白质或细胞-细胞相互作用和辨别最近发现的蛋白质的潜在功能的理想方法。随着这一仪器的获得，许多令人兴奋的项目可以进行。共焦显微镜系统将使拉斐特的教职员工能够修改和加强课程，包括复杂研究技术的培训，扩大学生和教职员工的研究领域，并最终通过探索发生在活细胞内的分子和细胞相互作用来促进生物科学领域的知识进步。利用这台仪器进行的研究项目将集中在各种生物科学上，包括细胞、分子、发育生物学和免疫学。这项建议支持的一些项目包括检查T细胞迁移过程中G蛋白偶联受体和相关分子的分子组织。在这个项目中，T细胞用于迁移的蛋白质将被标记，以便当T细胞对趋化因子做出反应时，可以研究蛋白质之间的相互作用。T细胞中的趋化因子受体信号级联还没有明确的定义，因此这个项目应该揭示T细胞迁移的一些基本步骤。另一个将用显微镜进行的项目是研究T细胞和趋化因子受体信号通路之间的交叉调节。这个项目将研究TCR和趋化因子受体信号通路所利用的蛋白质之间的相互作用，以了解这些不同的通路如何相互影响。黑腹果蝇的神经发育和交流是另一个研究和培训领域，将通过共聚焦显微镜系统得到加强。特别是，该仪器将有助于对爆炸敏感突变的研究。其中一个项目将调查这些突变体对线粒体及其功能的影响。另一组实验是检查三龄幼虫对bang敏感的线粒体保持其电化学梯度的能力。该提案的更广泛影响是，这些项目将由本科生实施，从而促进学生在科学职业方面的研究、研究培训和教育。拉斐特学院生物系的一些研究培训活动包括独立学习、荣誉论文、Excel奖学金计划，以及电子显微镜和组织培养课程等研究型课程。因此，将利用共焦显微镜系统进一步加强拉斐特学院的生物科学课程和研究。生物系在鼓励学生参与研究方面有着悠久的历史。到毕业时，许多专业至少有两个学期的广泛研究经验。通常，这种对研究的深入接触会激发人们继续研究生学习的愿望。此外，将对几门课程进行修改，以包括样品制备和共聚焦荧光显微镜分析方面的培训。因此，预计每年将有三名教职员工和大约50名学生使用该乐器。