MRI: Acquisition of a Bioluminescence/Fluorescence Imaging System for Long-Term Recording of Living Tissues

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。通过该奖项，弗吉尼亚大学生物系将获得生物发光/生物荧光成像系统，以研究与日常时间保持机制相关的分子信号。该仪器将用于旨在更好地了解内部生物钟的实验，这些生物钟使动物能够预测其环境的日常变化，并以优化的日常时间表组织多种身体功能。新的成像系统最佳地可视化生物发光信号产生的时钟控制的荧光素酶报告基因的表达与荧光信号产生的额外的报告基因，作为特定的细胞类型或生物活性的标志物。有了这项新技术，将有可能以单细胞分辨率对细胞类型特异性昼夜节律基因表达进行成像。拟进行的实验将集中在果蝇和啮齿动物模型系统的生物钟功能的细胞和网络特性。这些研究活动将有力地促进（共同）PI的研究计划，并有助于弗吉尼亚大学的研究人员和学生的招聘和培训。仪器和计划的研究活动将突出几个本科课程。此外，还将利用现有的附属机构，纳入K-12一级的培训和外联活动。参与的研究人员和学生不仅将参与时间生物学研究和成像技术前沿的项目，还将接受显微镜和数据分析技术方面的宝贵培训，这将成为他们整个科学或职业生涯的资产。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With this award to the Biology department at the University of Virginia a bioluminescence/biofluorescence imaging system will be acquired to study molecular signals associated with daily time keeping mechanisms. The instrument will be used for experiments aimed at gaining a better understanding of the internal circadian clocks that allow animals to anticipate daily changes in their environment and to organize a multitude of bodily functions in an optimized daily schedule. The new imaging system optimally visualizes bioluminescent signals produced by clock-controlled expression of luciferase reporter genes in combination with fluorescent signals produced by additional reporter genes that act as markers for specific cell types or biological activities. With the new technology it will be possible to image cell-type specific circadian gene expression at single cell resolution. The proposed experiments will focus on the cellular and network properties of circadian clock function in fruit fly and rodent model systems. These research activities will strongly stimulate the research programs of the (Co-)PIs as well as help in the recruitment and training of researchers and students to the University of Virginia. The instrument and planned research activities will be prominently featured in several undergraduate courses. In addition, existing affiliations will be used to also incorporate training and outreach at the K-12 level. Participating researchers and students will not only be involved in projects at the cutting edge of chronobiological research and imaging technology, but also receive invaluable training in microscopy and data analysis techniques that will be an asset to them throughout their scientific or professional careers.