MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope

位于密苏里州圣路易斯的Donald Danforth植物科学中心获得了一台徕卡SP-8共聚焦激光扫描显微镜，该显微镜将被安置在该研究所的综合显微镜设施中。该中心（一个非营利性研究机构）的科学家们致力于提高植物的营养含量，增加农业产量以创造可持续的食物供应，减少农药和化肥的使用，并开发新的可持续生物燃料。SP-8将为这项研究提供最新的细胞生物学现象成像技术，为理解分子生物学和生物化学在细胞功能中的作用提供基础。该仪器包括创新的、高灵敏度的探测器，用于成像植物组织中的微弱信号，这些信号有来自本地荧光分子的干扰信号，以及高速扫描仪，有助于保持经受长期延时成像的细胞的活力，并允许高速事件。SP-8的附加功能是其棱镜选择检测窗口和声光分束器，这增加了检测的选择性和灵敏度。这台显微镜将立即对12位研究者的研究项目产生深远的影响。这些项目包括研究影响植物受病毒感染的因素，了解生物钟蛋白和g蛋白复合物在植物细胞中的作用，分析光合酶在不同光合类型的单子叶作物的束鞘和叶肉细胞中的分布，分析绿藻的动态蛋白质定位研究，毛藻和涡藻，萜烯基生物燃料的生产，转录因子网络的分析。植物和藻类细胞的脂质代谢和信号传导，以及植物防御素导致入侵真菌病原体死亡的机制。综合显微镜设施是社区外展和科学培训工作不可或缺的参与者，这使该中心成为圣路易斯地区科学教育领域公认的领导者。将利用SP-8进行培训、教育和社区外展的几个级别的活动已经计划好了。NSF/REU资助的本科生实习生将参与使用SP-8的项目。来自服务水平低下的当地社区的高中生和社区大学的学生将在Terry Woodford-Thomas博士（丹佛斯中心科学教育和推广项目主任）的指导下参与独立研究，他将把基于成像的启动子筛选纳入植物生物技术项目管道中。针对K-12学生和普通公众的项目将与显微镜设施合作，提供3D和4D成像活植物细胞的经验。针对高中教师的专业发展项目将包括生成一个新的3D图像画廊和4D延时电影（用于翻页书），这些电影将被包装为补充教学指南“进入细胞”，用于初中和高中的科学课堂。这些图像也将在圣路易斯科学中心（每年接待超过一百万的游客）和其他受到公众欢迎的展览中展出。总而言之，该项目将通过支持促进可持续农业、营养、生物燃料开发和减少对环境有害的农药和化肥使用的研究，造福社会。此外，利用这台显微镜对植物细胞进行成像的外联活动将有助于丰富公众的科学素养。

An award is made to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, toacquire a Leica SP-8 confocal laser scanning microscope that will be housed in theinstitute's Integrated Microscopy Facility. Scientists at the Center (a not-for-profitresearch institute) are engaged in research that strives to enhance the nutritionalcontent of plants, increase agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply,reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizer, and develop new and sustainable biofuels.The SP-8 will serve this research by providing the most current technology for imagingcell biology phenomena, providing a basis for understanding the role of molecularbiology and biochemistry in cell function. The instrument includes innovative, highlysensitive detectors required for imaging dim signals in plant tissue that has interferingsignals from indigenous fluorescent molecules, and high speed scanners that helppreserve the viability of cells subjected to long-term time lapse imaging and also permitimaging of high speed events. Additional features of the SP-8 are its prism-selecteddetection windows and acousto-optical beam splitter, which increase selectivity andsensitivity of detection. The microscope will immediately have a profound impact onresearch projects from twelve investigators. These projects include the investigation offactors affecting infection of plants by viruses, understanding the role of circadian clockproteins and of G-protein complexes in plant cells, analysis of the distribution ofphotosynthetic enzymes in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells in monocot crops ofdiffering photosynthetic types, dynamic protein localization studies in the green algaeChlamydomonas and Volvox, production of terpene-based biofuels, analysis oftranscription factor networks, lipid metabolism and signaling in plant and algal cells, andthe mechanism by which plant defensins cause the death of invading fungal pathogens.The Integrated Microscopy Facility is an integral participant in community outreach andscientific training efforts that have made the Center a recognized leader in scienceeducation in the St. Louis region. Several levels of activity that will make use of the SP-8 for training, education and community outreach are planned. NSF/REU funded undergraduate interns will participate in projects that make use of the SP-8. High school students from under-served local communities and students from community colleges will be involved in independent research under the guidance of Dr. Terry Woodford-Thomas (Director of the Danforth Center's Science Education and Outreach Program) who will incorporate imaging-based promoter screening into a plant biotechnology project pipeline. Programs targeting K-12 students and the lay public will work with the microscopy facility to provide experiences in imaging living plant cells in 3D and 4D. Projects aimed at professional development for high school teachers will includegenerating a new gallery of 3D images and 4D time lapse movies (for flip books) that will be packaged as a supplemental teaching guide, "Into the Cell", for use in middle and high school science classrooms. These images will also be put on display at the St. Louis Science Center (which receives over a million visitors every year) and in other exhibits that have received popular public acclaim. In summary, this project will benefit society by supporting research that promotes sustainable agriculture, nutrition, biofueldevelopment, and reduction in environmentally deleterious use of pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, the outreach activities derived from imaging plant cells with this microscope will serve to enrich the scientific literacy of the public.