MRI: Acquisition of a laser-scanning confocal microscope for research and active learning

一个奖项是作出加州州立大学，奇科获得共聚焦显微镜系统的研究和培训的不同学生（39.4%来自历史上代表性不足（HU）的群体，50.7%的第一代大学生，55.4%的妇女）在这个西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）。该奖项支持在萨克拉门托北部的农村地区获得有竞争力的基础科学研究的基本技术。该成像技术通过在不同深度捕获多个二维图像，然后重建三维结构来增加显微标本的视觉分辨率和对比度。荧光染料可以进一步靶向细胞、组织或生物体中的特定结构和/或分子。这项技术将加强北州教育界多个班级的本科生培训，并被硕士生用于研究项目。使用将增加细胞/有机体/微生物学习的深度，提高技术技能，并促进多学科项目。因此，学生将更好地训练CSU系统的毕业生和竞争力的工作或博士课程。该奖项还有助于提高教师领导的高质量出版物和有竞争力的资金提案的能力。共聚焦显微镜对细胞科学很重要，但在生命科学的其他领域（微生物学，遗传学，发育生物学）和材料科学（地球科学，工程学，物理学）也有应用。该奖项使奇科州立大学和其他地区的教师能够追求新的方法，研究细胞生物力学在脊柱完整性，地球生物学和动物-微生物相互作用中的作用。现场共聚焦显微镜将允许多学科的方法来了解基因和相关的细胞机制对机械刺激的反应，以及这些机制的分解如何导致脊柱完整性降低。共聚焦显微镜还可以提供完整的、活的或保存最少的标本的非侵入性、高分辨率图像。研究活鱼胚胎或海葵幼虫的项目展示了研究生长或共生关系过程中适应性变化的能力。共聚焦显微镜也将应用于本科生和研究生项目，这些项目旨在表征微生物物种再生的海洋铁的生物利用度。该奖项所支持的新研究成果将在同行评审期刊以及地方、国家和国际科学会议上传播。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to California State University, Chico to acquire a confocal microscope system for research and training of diverse students (39.4% from historically under-represented (HU) groups, 50.7% 1st generation college students, 55.4% women) at this Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). This award supports access to essential technology for competitive basic science research in rural areas north of Sacramento. The imaging technique increases visual resolution and contrast of a microscopic specimen through the capture of multiple two-dimensional images at different depths, and then reconstruction of the three-dimensional structure. Fluorescent dyes can further target specific structures and/or molecules in a cell, tissue, or organism. This technology will enhance undergraduate training in multiple classes within the North State educational community, and be used by Master’s students for research projects. Usage will increase the depth of cellular/organismal/microbial learning, enhance technical skills, and facilitate multidisciplinary projects. Thus, students will be better trained graduates of the CSU system and competitive for jobs or PhD programs. The award also facilitates an increased capacity for faculty led high-quality publications and competitive funding proposals.Confocal microscopy is important to cellular science, but also has applications in other areas of the life sciences (microbiology, genetics, developmental biology), and in materials science (geosciences, engineering, physics). The award enables Chico State and other regional faculty to pursue novel approaches that investigate the role of cellular biomechanics in spinal integrity, geobiology, and animal-microbe interactions. On-site confocal microscopy will allow multidisciplinary approaches to understand genes and the related cellular mechanisms responsive to mechanical stimulation, and how the breakdown of these mechanisms leads to reduced spinal integrity. Confocal microscopy also provides non-invasive, high-resolution images of intact, living or minimally preserved specimens. Projects that look at either living fish embryos or anemone larvae demonstrate the ability to study adaptive changes during growth or symbiotic relations. The confocal microscope will also be applied in undergraduate and graduate projects that seek to characterize the bioavailability of marine iron regenerated by microbial species. Results from the novel research enabled by this award will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at local, national, and international scientific meetings.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.