MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope for Multidisciplinary Imaging Core Facilities

MRI：购买共焦显微镜用于多学科成像核心设施

• 批准号: 1126629
• 负责人: Hyla Sweet
• 金额: $ 35.51万
• 依托单位: Rochester Institute of Tech
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1126629&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Confocal; Microscope; Multidisciplinary

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award funds the acquisition of a laser scanning confocal microscope at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The microscope has sufficiently high resolution and fast data acquisition rate to be used in biological and materials research, and its acquisition will transform research at RIT by significantly enhancing imaging capabilities. The four main projects that will be impacted are (1) examination of the evolution of development in echinoderms through fate mapping and examination of gene expression, (2) subcellular localization of plant proteins, (3) characterization of the viscoelasticity of eye lens protein solutions as a function of composition and temperature and mapping their glass transition boundaries, and (4) examination of the colloidal glass transition. At least fifteen faculty members in the departments of biological sciences, medical sciences, physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, and biomedical engineering will be impacted by this new imaging system. The faculty users actively involve undergraduate students in all phases of their projects, including publishing and presenting at national meetings. Several faculty members also support Master's students. The acquisition of the microscope will directly address the NSF goal of improving the access to and increasing the use of state-of-the-art equipment. The confocal microscope will be integral in creating a multidisciplinary research training environment as it will be housed in a central location to facilitate collaborations between faculty and students across science and engineering. Undergraduate research students will work on research projects with their faculty mentors, workshops will be given on confocal microscopy to train new users (undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and external users), the confocal microscope will be used in current research-based courses, and a new multidisciplinary course will be developed and delivered by the PIs. This course will provide students with hands-on experience with microscopy in student/faculty designed research projects, and the confocal microscope will have an integral role. The acquisition of the confocal microscope will have broader impacts beyond enhancing RIT's infrastructure for research and facilitating the integration of research and education. These include broadening the participation of underrepresented groups, especially the deaf and hard-of-hearing students at RIT, women in science and engineering, and faculty and students who are AALANA (African American, Latino/a American, Native American). Results of the research projects will be presented at undergraduate research seminars and symposia, local, regional and national meetings, and will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

该主要研究仪器（MRI）奖资助罗彻斯特理工学院购买激光扫描共聚焦显微镜。该显微镜具有足够高的分辨率和快速的数据采集速率，可用于生物和材料研究，其采集将通过显着增强成像能力来改变RIT的研究。将受到影响的四个主要项目是：(1)通过命运定位和基因表达检查来检查棘皮动物的发育进化；(2)植物蛋白的亚细胞定位；(3)表征眼晶体蛋白溶液的粘弹性作为成分和温度的函数并绘制其玻璃化转变边界；(4)检查胶体玻璃化转变。在生物科学、医学、物理、化学、机械工程和生物医学工程院系中，至少有15名教职员工将受到这一新成像系统的影响。教师用户积极地让本科生参与到他们项目的各个阶段，包括出版和在国家会议上发表。一些教师也支持硕士生。该显微镜的收购将直接解决NSF的目标，即改善对最先进设备的获取和增加使用。共聚焦显微镜将在创建多学科研究培训环境中不可或缺，因为它将被安置在一个中心位置，以促进科学和工程领域的教师和学生之间的合作。本科生将与他们的教师导师一起进行研究项目，将举办共聚焦显微镜研讨会，以培训新用户（本科生，研究生，教师和外部用户），共聚焦显微镜将用于当前的研究型课程，并由pi开发和交付新的多学科课程。本课程将为学生提供在学生/教师设计的研究项目中使用显微镜的实践经验，共聚焦显微镜将发挥不可或缺的作用。收购共聚焦显微镜将产生更广泛的影响，不仅仅是加强RIT的研究基础设施，促进研究和教育的整合。这些措施包括扩大代表性不足的群体的参与，特别是RIT的失聪和听力障碍学生，科学和工程领域的女性，以及AALANA（非洲裔美国人、拉丁裔/美国人、美洲原住民）教师和学生。研究项目的结果将在本科生研究研讨会和专题讨论会、地方、区域和国家会议上提出，并将在同行评议的期刊上发表。