MRI: Elucidating Biomechanistic Processes Using Confoncal Microscopy at San Jose State Univerisity

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Funds from this Major Research Instrumentation Program grant will be used for the purchase and support of a Zeiss LSM 700 Confocal Microscope at San José State University. Research groups from the Biology, Chemistry and Civil Engineering departments will be among the major users, as well as a biology professor from Santa Clara University. A common theme to the research that will be enabled and enhanced by this acquisition is to elucidate biomechanistic processes. Faculty members with expertise in the areas of genetics, development, environmental microbiology, cell biology, immunology, biochemistry, and civil engineering will comprise the major users of the confocal microscope. Specifically, the following research projects will utilize this microscope: apoptotic induction by r-disintegrins; molecular mechanisms that mediate neuronal circuit formation and maintenance; mechanisms by which ethanol exposure affects synaptic plasticity; characterization of novel uncultured bacterial groups for ecophysiological studies; immunomodulation of lymphocyte trafficking; cellular localization of inositol glycans; examining angiogenesis during ovarian development in mice, signal transduction resulting from binding of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] to the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR); using microbiological dating and confocal microscopy to date structural cracks; and developmental analysis of LIN-1 expression.San José State University is a minority serving institution in Northern California with a large proportion of students with physical disabilities. Research groups actively incorporate undergraduate researchers and students at the Master?s level in their projects. Four main components of the training infrastructure at the university will be impacted by the purchase of this confocal microscope: 1) increased involvement of undergraduate students in research, 2) promoting active learning, 3) student training in specialized masters programs, and 4) collaborations with faculty and students at other institutions. Faculty that will utilize this confocal microscope are research mentors for several programs that aim to increase the number of minority students who pursue Ph.D. degrees in the sciences, including NIH-MARC, MBRS-RISE, HHMI-SCRIBE, and NSF-REU RUMBA. Learning to use this state of the art microscope in their research will help prepare students for careers in science. In addition, data collected from this microscope will be used in undergraduate courses to bring contemporary research into the classroom. Finally, smaller institutions in the surrounding community including Santa Clara University will have the opportunity to utilize this microscopy to increase their research potential.