MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope System for Research, Education, and Training

向北卡罗来纳州中央大学（NCCU）颁发了一个奖项，以支持为研究和培训活动购买共聚焦显微镜。 共聚焦显微镜将被广泛用于支持28个终身制，独立资助的教师的基础研究活动，每个指导研究计划，将显着推进知识在他们所选择的领域和指导本科生和研究生主要来自少数民族社区。新的显微镜将使下一代科学家能够接受现代显微镜方法的培训，以分析各种生物样品。该系统将用于通过现有课程和直接本科生和研究生研究经验培训学生最先进的成像采集应用。 显微镜也将被纳入初中和高中学生的推广活动。 新的显微镜将极大地提高许多NCCU教师的科学发现，他们使用斑马鱼，哺乳动物细胞培养，果蝇，小鼠和转基因植物研究各种主题。将使用共聚焦显微镜功能范围的项目包括：神经元发育和图案化，转基因植物中的重组蛋白表达，多个配体/受体靶点的分析，大脑发育和线粒体生物发生，以及细胞生长的调节。与3D打印技术一起，这种最先进的共聚焦显微镜将成为生物医学科学和工程领域个人之间开展跨学科合作的关键手段。这些研究的数据和分析将发表在同行评审的科学期刊上，在科学会议上发表，并用于教育和公共宣传活动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

An award is made to North Carolina Central University (NCCU) to support the acquisition of a confocal microscope for research and training activities. The confocal microscope will be used extensively to support the fundamental research activities of twenty-eight tenure-track, independently funded faculty, each directing research programs that will significantly advance knowledge in their chosen fields and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students from predominantly minority communities. The new microscope will enable the training of the next generation of scientists in modern microscopy methods for the analysis of diverse biological samples. This system will be used to train students in state-of-the-art imaging acquisition applications via existing courses and during direct undergraduate and graduate research experiences. The microscope will also be incorporated into outreach activities for middle and high school students. The new microscope will critically enhance the scientific findings of many NCCU faculty who study a diverse range of topics using zebrafish, mammalian cell culture, Drosophila, mice, and transgenic plants. Projects that will use the range of capabilities of the confocal microscope include: neuronal developing and patterning, recombinant protein expression in transgenic plants, analyses with multiple ligand/receptor targets, brain development and mitochondrial biogenesis, and regulation of cell growth. Together with 3D printing technologies, this state-of-the-art confocal microscope will serve as a key means to develop interdisciplinary collaborations between individuals in the biomedical sciences and engineering. Data and analyses from these studies will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, presented at scientific meetings, and used in both educational and public outreach activities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.