MRI: Acquisition of an integrated Zeiss 980 microscope with Airyscan 2 and FCS to advance multidisciplinary research, inclusive teaching, and outreach at Amherst College

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An award is made to Amherst College to support the acquisition of a specialized light microscope that provides the resolution to visualize features in cells as small as 120 nm, approximately the size of a SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the ability to analyze the movement of single molecules in living cells. The instrument will expand the scope of research, currently not possible at the College, into exciting new areas. Additionally, the new multifunctional imaging system will be the flagship instrument of a new imaging facility in the recently opened integrated Science Center. The acquired microscope will become a shared resource open to investigators from all areas of scientific research across the community of local colleges and universities. Through the new imaging facility, this instrument will provide hands-on experience for students on a high-end imaging system and will greatly expand the offerings of established pre-matriculation and summer research initiatives aimed at recruiting, training, and retaining underrepresented STEM students on campus. The acquisition of this unique, multifunctional light microscope will not only modernize the institution’s imaging capabilities but will impact classroom offerings across disciplines, including biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and neuroscience. Working in partnership with the Beneski Museum of Natural History, a student-curated exhibit of images and videos will be created, speaking to the intersection of art and science through an initiative entitled “Molecules in Motion” (MiM). This will promote the science of the College’s scientists and students and increase the visibility of the work to the broadest audience while creating awareness of the remarkable developments in STEM to visualize the inner workings of molecules in living cells.The new fast, multifunctional, high-resolution microscope will transform researchers’ abilities to investigate intermolecular interactions and cellular processes. It will meet the growing demands of a variety of research programs ranging from high resolution studies of dynamic signal transduction and developmental processes in sea anemone and C. elegans to investigations of ultrafast cellular and organismal responses in neurons and zebrafish. The instrument’s capabilities to stimulate with light will enable studies of neural encoding of auditory function and motile responses to environmental stimuli in Dictyostellium. Access to single molecule dynamics will enable cross-disciplinary collaborations between chemistry around the application of custom fluorescent labels for biological imaging and investigations into the consequences of zinc dysregulation on amyloid protein in vitro and in neurons. This new microscope will amplify the researchers’ abilities to leverage their unique strengths in research, outreach, and training to bridge impactful scientific discoveries to a profound and enduring impact on the community.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.