MRI: Acquisition of an automated fluorescent microscope and imaging system for undergraduate biology and chemistry research and research training

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An award is made to Saint Joseph's University (SJU) to purchase a wide-field automated fluorescent microscope and imaging system. This equipment enhances the research and research training within SJU's biology and chemistry departments. College students will be exposed to projects involving fluorescent microscopy in upper-level undergraduate and graduate coursework and as a part of their research experiences at SJU. Additionally, through SJU's established connections with the Philadelphia area's public education system, this instrument will allow for enhanced engagement with local elementary and high school students. Microscopy-based teaching projects will help foster an appreciation among these students for the natural sciences, teach students about research, and will inform their future career interests.Fluorescence microscopy is an essential component of the ongoing research of both the biology and chemistry departments at SJU. The new microscope and imaging system will be used as a key component in the following projects: (1) in vivo imaging of signaling molecules using fluorescence-based biosensors during sleep in nematodes; (2) immunofluorescence of brain slices to determine the impact of sleep and sleep deprivation on memory in mice; (3) visualization of light- and dark-adaptive cellular movements in the eyes of fish; and (4) direct observation of host-pathogen interactions using Ustilago maydis, a fungal pathogen of maize. Other projects using this equipment involve: (1) the maintenance of chromosome telomeres in baker's yeast; (2) oxygen sensing mechanism of the Heme-PAS protein FixL from nitrogen-fixing bacteria, S. meliloti; and (3) analysis of semiconductor nanocrystals or "quantum dots." Results of this research will be presented at local, national, and international conferences, and published in peer-reviewed journals.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.