Acquisition of a multi-user laser scanning confocal microscope to enhance interdisciplinary research, curriculum development, and minority students' interest in STEM careers

美国国家科学基金会通过主要研究仪器（MRI）项目向德克萨斯A&amp；M国际大学（TAMIU）颁发了一项奖励，以获得一台新的激光扫描共聚焦显微镜。共聚焦显微镜是研究动物、植物、微生物以及材料科学中细胞和基因功能的重要工具。共聚焦显微镜还提高了质量，扩大了许多科学学科的研究、培训和教育活动的范围，包括生物学、化学和工程学。新的共聚焦显微镜将被安置在TAMIU文理学院生物化学系和工程学院的Lamar Bruni Vergara科学中心。共聚焦显微镜是TAMIU所有部门以及周边拉雷多社区（包括拉雷多社区学院（LCC））的核心和多用户显微镜。使用显微镜的研究人员将训练本科生和研究生在课程作业和研究环境中利用这种成像技术。在更广泛的层面上，显微镜支持几个项目，培训来自弱势群体的大学生攻读大学学位。这些项目包括；1)大学作为一个研究型机构的持续发展，2)可用的尖端方法的范围将提高科学成果和联邦研究资金的竞争力，3)为学生提供实践研究经验的发展，以及4)TAMIU在社区中的知名度，作为里约热内卢格兰德山谷的领先学术机构。这些需求对学生和教师的招聘和保留、专业成长以及技术导向型毕业生的发展至关重要，以促进南德克萨斯州的社会经济发展。这些设备将大大提高TAMIU的研究生产力和教育机会。它还将加强对该区域社区的现行服务和合作。因此，新型共聚焦显微镜将成为当前和未来拉雷多所有社区的科学家和工程师的重要工具。新仪器主要为TAMIU生物化学系和工程学院的用户提供个人研究、研究培训计划和教学服务。使用共聚焦显微镜的四个主要研究项目是多学科的，包括微管在果蝇眼睛发育中的作用的研究；肺炎支原体发病机制中宿主-病原体相互作用及其药物开发潜力的研究；新基因cia7在莱茵衣藻中的作用以及用于材料表面分析的非破坏性共聚焦成像。研究项目受益于更高的分辨率、更快的扫描速度和进行活细胞成像实验的能力。新的共聚焦显微镜满足了TAMIU和拉雷多社区跨学科研究和教育的当前和未来需求。

An award is made to Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) through the NSF-Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program to acquire a new laser scanning confocal microscope. A confocal microscope is an essential tool for studying cell and gene function in animals, plants, and microorganisms, as well as in material sciences. The confocal microscope also improves the quality and expands the scope of the research, training and educational activities in many scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and engineering. The new confocal microscope will be housed in the Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center within the Department of Biology and Chemistry and the School of Engineering in the College of Arts and Sciences of TAMIU. The confocal microscope serves as the core and multi-user microscope for all departments at TAMIU as well as surrounding Laredo communities, including the Laredo Community College (LCC). Investigators that use the microscope will train undergraduate and graduate students to utilize this imaging technique in coursework as well as research environments. On a broader level, the microscope support several programs that train college students from underrepresented groups pursuing college degrees. These programs include; 1) the university's continued growth as a research-oriented institution, 2) the range of available cutting-edge methodologies that would improve scientific results and competitiveness for federal research funding, 3) the development of hands-on research experiences for students, and 4) TAMIU's visibility in the community, as a leading academic institution of the Rio Grande Valley. These needs are fundamental for student and faculty recruitment and retention, professional growth, and the development of technologically oriented graduates to foster the socio-economic development in South Texas. This equipment will significantly enhance research productivity and educational opportunities at TAMIU. It will also strengthen ongoing services to communities and collaborations in the region. Thus, the new confocal microscope will become an essential tool for current and future scientists as well as engineers in all of Laredo communities.The new instrumentation primarily serves users from the Department of Biology and Chemistry and the School of Engineering at TAMIU for individual research, research training programs, and teaching. The four major research projects that use the confocal microscope are multidisciplinary including investigation of the roles of microtubules in Drosophila eye development; study of host-pathogen interactions in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pathogenesis and their potential for drug discovery; determination of the role of a novel gene cia7 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; and non-destructive confocal imaging for surface analysis of materials. Research projects benefit from increased resolution, enhanced scanning speeds and the ability to conduct live cell-imaging experiments. The new confocal microscope meets both the current and future needs for research and education across multiple disciplines at TAMIU and Laredo communities.