MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope to Enable Undergraduate Research and Research Training across Disciplines

非技术：这台共聚焦激光扫描显微镜的收购使威斯康星大学奥克莱尔分校材料科学、生物和化学系的新研究项目成为可能。该仪器极大地扩展了该大学跨学科材料科学中心的成像能力，并用于解决智能悬浮液、超导磁体、植物光响应、线虫细胞内运动、神经细胞相互作用、荧光染料开发和纳米材料等研究领域的问题。该仪器还用于扩大硬材料、软材料、纳米材料和细胞生物学的本科研究培训工作，重点是STEM学科中代表性不足的学生。该仪器通过材料表征、发育生物学和研究方法等课程进一步整合到材料科学与生物学的本科实验课程中。现有的工业合作和材料科学中心的K12外展工作也利用了这个系统。技术：威斯康星大学欧克莱尔分校的这台共聚焦激光扫描显微镜为跨学科的教师提供了新的研究方向，为STEM本科生提供了最相关的研究和研究培训经验，有助于为未来招募高素质的研究人员，并使与邻近机构和行业的合作成为可能。主要研究人员和高级研究人员的研究跨越多个学科，包括跨学科的材料科学中心、生物系和化学系。目前的材料科学项目包括：(1)胶体凝胶的研究，包括基本的分子相互作用研究以及催化剂支撑和膜等应用，使用温度控制的共聚焦荧光显微镜从静态凝胶的共聚焦z堆栈生成3D重建，以及快速共振扫描用于流动下胶体悬浮液的颗粒跟踪；(2)利用高z分辨率共聚焦反射高度图对低温和高温超导体断口进行表征，这将有助于评估复合材料细丝微观结构在线材断裂韧性中的作用。目前生物学主要研究项目包括：(1)利用植物活细胞高分辨率亚细胞荧光蛋白成像，同时检测多个荧光团，确定共定位和Förster共振能量转移实验，探索植物的光响应途径；(2)利用快速共振扫描共聚焦荧光显微镜研究线虫纤毛荧光标记成分的运动，利用高分辨率共聚焦荧光显微镜研究多个荧光团的亚细胞定位和共定位。其他项目包括：(1)利用三维共聚焦荧光成像研究荧光稀土离子结合多肽聚集体；(2)利用高分辨率快速共振扫描共聚焦显微镜和环境控制进行活细胞成像和细胞相互作用动力学研究；(3)利用共聚焦荧光显微镜对活细胞进行染色和三维成像，测试新的位点选择性荧光染料。

Non-technical: The acquisition of this confocal laser scanning microscope enables new research programs in the Materials Science, Biology, and Chemistry departments at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The instrument significantly expands the imaging capabilities of the University's interdisciplinary Materials Science Center, and is used to solve problems in research areas such as smart suspensions, superconducting magnets, plant light responses, movement within nematode cells, neural cell interactions, fluorescent dye development, and nanomaterials. The instrument is also used to expand undergraduate research training efforts in hard materials, soft materials, nanomaterials and cellular biology, with an emphasis on underrepresented students in the STEM disciplines. The instrument is further integrated into the undergraduate lab curriculum of Materials Science and Biology, through courses such as Materials Characterization, Developmental Biology, and Research Methods. Existing industrial collaborations and K12 outreach efforts in the Materials Science Center also utilize this system.Technical: This Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire enables new research directions for faculty across disciplines, provides the most relevant research and research training experiences for STEM undergraduates, helps recruit high-quality researchers for the future, and enables collaborations with neighboring institutions and industry. The research of the principal investigators and senior personnel spans multiple disciplines, including the interdisciplinary Materials Science Center, Biology Department, and Chemistry Department. Current Materials Science projects include: (1) investigation of colloidal gels, both for fundamental molecular interactions research and for applications such as catalyst supports and membranes, using temperature-controlled confocal fluorescence microscopy to generate 3D reconstructions from confocal z-stacks for quiescent gels and fast resonant scanning for particle tracking of colloidal suspensions under flow, and (2) the characterization of fracture surfaces of low temperature and high temperature superconductors using high z resolution confocal reflectance height maps, which will help assess the role of the composite strand microstructure in the overall wire fracture toughness. Current Biology principal investigator projects include: (1) exploration of light response pathways in plants using high resolution subcellular fluorescent protein imaging in living plant cells and simultaneous detection of multiple fluorophores for determination of co-localization and Förster resonance energy transfer experiments, and (2) investigation of the movement of fluorescent-tagged components of the cilia of nematodes using fast resonant scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy and subcellular localization and co-localization of multiple fluorophores using high resolution confocal fluorescence microscopy. Additional projects include: (1) investigation of fluorescent rare earth ion-bound polypeptide aggregates using 3D confocal fluorescence imaging, (2) live cell imaging and kinetic studies of cell interactions using high resolution fast resonant scanning confocal microscopy and environmental control, and (3) the testing of new site-selective fluorescent dyes by staining and 3D imaging live cells using confocal fluorescence microscopy.