MRI: Acquisition of New Fluorescence/DIC Microscope with Computing Station for Research and Student Training

MRI：采购带有计算站的新型荧光/DIC 显微镜，用于研究和学生培训

• 批准号: 1126750
• 负责人: Daniel Selski
• 金额: $ 16.15万
• 依托单位: Central Washington University
• 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 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1126750&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; New; Fluorescence; DIC

Central Washington University (CWU) is a Baccalaureate and Masters Granting Institution located in a rural agricultural region about 110 miles east of Seattle on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. CWU has a student population of about 9,000 students with about 20% minority enrollment. The five investigators from the departments of Biology and Chemistry are requesting acquisition of instrumentation to enhance their existing microscopy facility. This acquisition will greatly enhance the teaching, training and research infrastructure at CWU. The specific instrument is a new Leica DM5500 compound microscope system with fluorescence and differential interference contrast (DIC) capabilities. The proposal includes a vibration isolation table and a computational workstation that are necessary for utilizing the full capabilities of the microscope. To facilitate fluorescence visualization in multiple colors the microscope will be equipped with fluorescence-compatible objective lenses; a broad-spectrum (ultraviolet through infrared), high intensity light source; and multiple filters that allow specific wavelengths to be used for different experiments. Fluorescence microscopy will be used by nearly all the investigators to analyze fluorescently labeled cell organelles such as nuclei, mitochondria and axons. It will also be used to characterize multiple genes and proteins that are present in the cells of organisms ranging from extremophile bacteria to microscopic worms to developing chick and adult mouse brains. The DIC capability will allow investigators to visualize (and ultimately measure sizes of) structures within a tissue or within cells that have not been treated with a fluorescent or histological stain. This optical capability is necessary for investigators who study the growth of diverse fungi and those who need to visualize unstained cells and tissue in the worm and chick brain. Similar to the fluorescence capabilities, these DIC optics require highly specialized objective lenses, filters and prisms in the light path of the microscope. In order to document results of experiments, digital cameras and a computer are necessary. Because some investigators will photograph with brightfield (normal white) light and others will photograph fluorescent images, two different cameras are required. Each is specialized for high image quality and accurate, quantitative representation of the brightfield or fluorescent specimen. Additionally, intense computational power is required for many of the analyses that will be performed on the images obtained. The requested computer has storage space for the many large images that will be collected, and it will be equipped with state-of-the-art software for performing the following functions: Deconvolution is a technique to analyze multiple focal planes of a specimen to digitally subtract unfocussed material in order to highly clarify the final image. Quantitation of fluorescence intensity will allow automated counting and measurement of sizes of labeled structures such as bacteria, axons, and mitochondria; it will also allow comparison of biochemical and DNA differences among experimental groups. Computerized control of the microscope stage allows stage movements to be calibrated and quantitated in order to measure the size of a three-dimensional specimen that cannot be visualized completely in one image.The investigators involved in this proposal are studying areas of Biology that are as diverse as cell and developmental neuroscience, systematics and biology of fungi and fungus-like protists, microbial ecology of extreme environments and mitochondrial mechanisms of protection from oxidative stress. Each of these areas requires the scientists to be able to correlate molecular and biochemical changes with changes in cell structure and behavior. The most advanced microscopy instrumentation is required to analyze and document cellular and subcellular processes, such as changes in neuronal connections during development and behavioral adaptation, morphological differences among known and newly characterized fungi and protists, viral interactions with extreme microbes, and alterations to mitochondria in response to stress. Acquisition of this instrument will enable the investigators to establish and extend their research in these areas and to continue to train undergraduate and graduate students in their laboratories. Indeed, the Biology and Chemistry departments at CWU are able to incorporate many undergraduate students in the ongoing research. Undergraduates find it relatively easy to get involved with at least one research professor and typically disseminate this research through presentations and publication. Furthermore, the faculty are committed to incorporating inquiry-based teaching and technical training of students in laboratory classes. The acquisition of this instrumentation will allow even more undergraduates and masters-level graduate students to have access to state-of-the-art research microscopes as they train to become future scientists. CWU has established and provided support for several programs such as the Science Honors Program for undergraduate research and competitive funds for research and travel. CWU also has externally funded programs such as the NSF-funded Science Talent Expansion Program and Department of Education's McNair Scholars Program, both of which include efforts to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in science. CWU is implementing interdisciplinary watershed research into local middle and high schools through the NSF-supported GK12 Grant, Yakima WATERS, which places graduate fellows into schools to incorporate inquiry-based education into the curriculum. The investigators on this proposal are actively involved in these programs.

中央华盛顿大学（CWU）是一所学士学位和硕士学位授予机构，位于喀斯喀特山脉另一侧的西雅图以东约110英里的农村农业地区。 CWU的学生人数约为9，000人，少数民族入学率约为20%。来自生物学和化学系的五名研究人员要求购买仪器，以加强他们现有的显微镜设施。此次收购将大大提高教学，培训和研究基础设施在CWU。 具体的仪器是一个新的Leica DM 5500复合显微镜系统，具有荧光和微分干涉对比（DIC）功能。 该提案包括一个隔振台和一个计算工作站，这是利用显微镜的全部功能所必需的。 为了便于荧光可视化在多种颜色的显微镜将配备荧光兼容物镜;一个广谱（紫外到红外），高强度光源;和多个过滤器，允许特定的波长用于不同的实验。 荧光显微镜将被几乎所有的研究人员用来分析荧光标记的细胞器，如细胞核，线粒体和轴突。 它还将用于表征存在于生物体细胞中的多种基因和蛋白质，从极端细菌到微观蠕虫，再到发育中的小鸡和成年小鼠大脑。 DIC功能将允许研究人员可视化（并最终测量）组织内或细胞内未用荧光或组织学染色处理的结构。 这种光学能力对于研究各种真菌生长的研究人员以及需要可视化蠕虫和鸡脑中未染色细胞和组织的研究人员来说是必要的。 与荧光功能类似，这些DIC光学器件在显微镜的光路中需要高度专业化的物镜、滤光片和棱镜。 为了记录实验结果，数码相机和计算机是必要的。 因为一些研究者将使用明场（正常白色）光拍摄，而另一些研究者将拍摄荧光图像，所以需要两台不同的相机。 每一个都是专门用于高图像质量和准确，定量表示明场或荧光标本。 此外，对所获得的图像进行的许多分析都需要强大的计算能力。 所要求的计算机有存储空间的许多大型图像，将被收集，它将配备有国家的最先进的软件执行以下功能：去卷积是一种技术，分析多个焦平面的标本，以数字减去未聚焦的材料，以高度澄清的最终图像。 荧光强度的定量将允许自动计数和测量标记结构的大小，如细菌、轴突和线粒体;它还将允许比较实验组之间的生化和DNA差异。 显微镜载物台的计算机控制允许对载物台运动进行校准和定量，以便测量无法在一张图像中完全可视化的三维标本的大小。参与该提案的研究人员正在研究生物学领域，如细胞和发育神经科学，真菌和真菌样原生生物的系统学和生物学，极端环境的微生物生态学和线粒体保护机制免受氧化应激。 这些领域中的每一个都要求科学家能够将分子和生物化学变化与细胞结构和行为的变化联系起来。 需要最先进的显微镜仪器来分析和记录细胞和亚细胞过程，例如发育和行为适应过程中神经元连接的变化，已知和新表征的真菌和原生生物之间的形态差异，病毒与极端微生物的相互作用，以及线粒体对压力的反应。 购买这一仪器将使研究人员能够建立和扩大他们在这些领域的研究，并继续在他们的实验室培训本科生和研究生。 事实上，CWU的生物学和化学系能够将许多本科生纳入正在进行的研究。 本科生发现与至少一位研究教授接触相对容易，通常通过演讲和出版物传播这项研究。 此外，学院致力于将探究式教学和学生的技术培训纳入实验室课程。 该仪器的收购将使更多的本科生和硕士研究生能够获得最先进的研究显微镜，因为他们训练成为未来的科学家。 CWU已经建立并提供了几个项目，如科学荣誉计划本科研究和研究和旅行的竞争资金的支持。 CWU也有外部资助的项目，如NSF资助的科学人才扩展计划和教育部的麦克奈尔学者计划，这两个项目都包括努力增加在科学领域代表性不足的群体的招聘和保留。CWU正在通过NSF支持的GK 12赠款（亚基马沃茨）在当地初中和高中开展跨学科流域研究，该赠款将研究生研究员安置到学校，将基于探究的教育纳入课程。 该提案的调查人员积极参与这些方案。