MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope for Multi-disciplinary Research

圣克拉拉大学获得了一种先进的共聚焦显微镜。从事人类学、生物学、生物工程和化学研究的学生和教师将使用这种共聚焦显微镜。随着时间的推移，这种显微镜使研究人员能够在三维空间中进行精确的测量。该显微镜使教师和学生能够收集关键的科学数据，这将有助于解决植物和动物的分子和发育生物学的核心问题。这种显微镜还将用于研究某些广泛存在的化学物质与普通蛋白质结构的相互作用。这台显微镜将捕捉到植物细胞化石的三维形状，这些信息将用于建立过去环境和植物进化的模型。此外，该显微镜将用于研究特定乳剂的化学性质，并帮助开发荧光蛋白开关，这将有助于多个领域的科学家。总体而言，一大批大学教职员工和受指导的学生研究人员将使用该显微镜研究生物和化学多个领域的关键问题。圣克拉拉大学是一所以学生学习为中心的本科大学。将共聚焦显微镜引入校园将大大增加学生从事科学探究的机会，同时产生有用的数据。SCU理科毕业生通常会进入医学院、研究生院和生物技术行业。SCU学生的成功归功于他们在实验室和课堂上获得的实践经验。学生将学习如何在多个学院的研究实验室和几节课中使用共聚焦显微镜。他们在定量和荧光显微镜方面接受的培训将为他们在不同的STEM领域的职业生涯做好准备。该显微镜将用于吸引第一代大学生到SCU科学系的年度推广活动。这台显微镜将用于解决重要的科学假设和培养多样化的学生。接触这台显微镜将对学生产生积极影响，提高他们的科学素养，使他们能够在STEM领域从事职业。

An award is made to Santa Clara University to acquire a cutting-edge confocal microscope. Students and faculty performing research in anthropology, biology, bioengineering, and chemistry will use this confocal microscope. This microscope allows researchers to make accurate and precise measurements in three dimensions over time. This microscope enables faculty and students to collect critical scientific data that will help address core questions in molecular and developmental biology of both plants and animals. This microscope will also be used to study the interaction of certain widespread chemicals with common protein structures. The three dimensional shape of fossilized plant cells will be captured on this microscope, and that information will be used to inform models of past environments and plant evolution. Additionally this microscope will be used to study the chemistry of specific emulsions, and to help develop fluorescent proteins switches that will aid scientists in multiple fields. Overall, a broad group of university faculty members and mentored student researchers will use this microscope to study key questions in multiple areas of biology and chemistry. Santa Clara University is a primarily undergraduate university with student learning at its central focus. The introduction of a confocal microscope to campus will greatly enhance the opportunities for students to engage in scientific inquiry, while producing useful data. SCU science graduates often go on to medical school, graduate school, and the biotech industry. The success of SCU students is attributed to the hands-on experiences they receive in the laboratory and classroom. Students will be educated to use the confocal microscope in multiple faculty research labs and in several classes. The training they receive in quantitative and fluorescence microscopy will prepare them well for careers in diverse STEM fields. The microscope will be used in an annual outreach event to attract first-generation college students to the SCU science departments. This microscope will be used to address important scientific hypothesis and to train a diverse set of students. Exposure to this microscope will leave a positive impact on students, by increasing their scientific literacy and enabling them to pursue careers in STEM fields.