MRI: Acquisition of a Multi-photon Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope to Establish a Fluorescence Imaging Core Facility

该主要研究仪器奖资助了俄克拉荷马州大学诺曼校区跨学科领域研究和培训的多光子激光扫描共聚焦显微镜的收购。 新仪器具有更高的灵敏度和更快的速度，将大大提高生命科学和工程研究人员的生活和深层组织成像的能力在校园和附近的研究机构的多样性。 这种新的共聚焦显微镜将被一些NSF赞助的实验室使用，这些实验室已经活跃在细胞和分子成像领域，以及将共聚焦成像纳入其研究项目的新用户。 研究课题包括但不限于七鳃鳗神经嵴的迁移、果蝇神经突的生长和突触囊泡的运输、深层神经组织的钙成像、植物蛋白质复合物形成的时空模式，以及金属表面腐蚀过程中生物膜的生长和形态。 新的显微镜将是教育和研究一体化的重要组成部分;学生将通过一个新的高本科生和研究生课程，应用共聚焦成像，由PI集体授课最初进行培训。此外，PI及其学生将与农村和城市俄克拉荷马州K-12教师合作，开发和实施尖端的推广和课堂项目。 这些研究，教学和推广工作的结果将通过学生和教师在专业会议的参与，并通过同行评议的出版物广泛传播。

This Major Research Instrumentation award funds the acquisition of a multi-photon laser scanning confocal microscope for research and training in interdisciplinary fields on the University of Oklahoma (OU) Norman campus. The new instrument has higher sensitivity and faster speed and will significantly boost the capabilities for live and deep-tissue imaging by a diversity of life science and engineering researchers on the OU campus and at nearby research institutions. This new confocal microscope will be used by a number of NSF-sponsored laboratories that are already active in cell and molecular imaging as well as by new users who will incorporate confocal imaging in their research projects. The research topics include, but they are not limited to, neural crest migration in the primitive vertebrate lamprey, neurite outgrowth and synaptic vesicle trafficking in fruit flies, calcium imaging of deep nerve tissues, temporal and spatial patterns of protein complex formation in plants, and biofilm growth and morphology during corrosion of metallic surface. The new microscope will be an important part of education and research integration; students will be trained initially through a new upper undergraduate and graduate student course, Applied Confocal Imaging, taught collectively by the PIs. In addition, the PIs and their students will collaborate with rural and urban Oklahoma K-12 teachers in developing and implementing cutting-edge outreach and classroom projects. The results of these research, teaching, and outreach efforts will be broadly disseminated through participation of students and faculty at professional meetings and through peer-reviewed publications.