MRI: Acquisition of Flexible High-speed Super-Resolution System for Plant Research

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An award is made to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC) to do high-speed and super-resolution microscopy of plants to understand their interactions with microbes and their environment. The DDPSC mission is to improve the human condition through plant science: by feeding the hungry and improving human health; preserving and renewing the environment; and enhancing the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The investment in advanced microscopy at the DDPSC greatly benefit its plant research projects and provides novel plant focused applications for the greater scientific community. The super-resolution microscope will be leveraged for training scientists at all ranks up to principal investigators. Three graduate/undergraduate courses at Saint Louis University and Washington University in Saint Louis will include super-resolution microscopy in their syllabus. Tomorrow’s scientists will be trained through active participation in the DDPSC NSF-Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program, teaching a twice-yearly advanced fluorescence imaging short course, recruitment of high school students for imaging projects and participation in a regional internship program for high school students called Students and Teachers As Research Scientists (STARS). Additionally, the highly successful DDPSC Education and Outreach program will host workshops for teachers and provide interactive mentoring that connect our scientists with nearby schools including St. Charles Community College and Harris Stowe University, a Historically Black College and University.In recent years, a remarkable surge in new discoveries on how cells work have been forthcoming, benefiting from the rapid development of genetically encoded fluorescent sensors and other designer probes. Additionally, new imaging technologies and protocols have arisen, leading to a revolution in how a cells and tissues can be explored. DDPSC acquisition of a high-speed super-resolution microscope will have an immediate impact on twenty-three funded research projects NSF (12), DOE (4), DARPA (1) USDA (2), private (3), NIH (1) representing 13 PIs at the Danforth Center and local region including Washington University of Saint Louis (WUSTL), Saint Louis University (SLU) and Kansas State University (KSU). The super-resolution microscope will enable advancements in diverse projects which investigate plant development, microbes, plant-microbe interactions, heat/stress responses in plants and algae, fundamentals of plant and algal cell growth and division, cytoskeletal dynamics, the plant cell wall, nuclear domain structure and dynamics, RNA localization, and protein localization in plant or algal tissues. Results from the research will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and at scientific meetingsThis 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.