Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope for Interdisciplinary Research

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This award supports the acquisition of a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) imaging system with spectral imaging to augment the current research activities of a diverse faculty within the City University of New York (CUNY) centered at the College of Staten Island. The instrument will be part of a college-wide Advanced Imaging Facility whose mission is to serve the college and the greater New York City metropolitan area. The CLSM will support the activities of a diverse consortium of researchers and educators in biology, chemistry, and materials science. An essential module of the research efforts at the College of Staten Island is to analyze the functional aspects of interactions of macromolecular assemblies within the context of living cells and organisms. Initially, at least seven researchers have identified confocal microscopy as a key tool for enhancing their research efforts. Interaction between these faculty have begun in attempts to answer hypotheses related to, but not limited to: molecular interactions related to endosome formation during phagocytosis, creation of novel nanodevices using biological macromolecules as templates, and cell signaling events regulating mitochondrial calcium homeostasis. Related to this are the structural analyses of proteins modified by covalent addition of transitional metals, development of responsive microgels based on polysaccharides and polypeptides, and the investigation of biopolymers that enable fruits to be resilient and resistant to pathogenic attack, especially under conditions of environmental stress. This instrumentation will also support a number of educational activities both at the College of Staten Island and within the City University of New York. This includes use in an Advanced Microscopy course, Instrumental Methods in Chemistry, and undergraduate research activities through Independent Studies and Honors Thesis programs. Additionally, the instrument will support research activities in the College of Staten Island's NSF-funded REU program on Polymers and Biopolymers as well as the Center for Environmental Science. As the Departments of Biology and Chemistry have an established interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching, the instrument will also be used in graduate education and training in the NSF-supported IGERT program on Nanostructural Materials and Devices and undergraduate education in the Merck-AAAS funded program on development and in vivo utilization of novel bioconjugates to investigate transportation mechanisms.