MRI: Acquisition of a laser scanning confocal microscope for use in research and teaching in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics Departments at Grinnell College

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An award is made to Grinnell College to purchase a point-scanning confocal microscope system. Grinnell College has been an active participant and leader in efforts to improve science pedagogy by incorporating active learning techniques into the classroom, improving access to science for women and underrepresented groups, and integrating research experiences throughout the curriculum. This instrument will support these efforts by providing new research possibilities for faculty and their students, both in the research lab and in existing laboratory courses. Beyond this, the investigators will create and teach a new course dedicated to microscopy techniques. More specifically, they will incorporate the proposed instrument into an existing program that provides educational opportunities for inmates at a nearby medium security prison. Further, the co-PIs propose the development of a workshop for regional liberal arts colleges, to be hosted at Grinnell, the aim of which is to exchange best practices and work together to design experiments using fluorescence microscopy and/or confocal microscopy that are accessible to undergraduate students in a variety of settings. This award will support a range of research and teaching/training activities in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and physics including: (1) studying synaptic plasticity at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ); (2) detecting microtubule formation below the diffraction limit of light; (3) characterizing neurovascular patterning and guidance in the developing vertebrate heart; (4) deciphering the genetic control of Ca2+ levels in cell migration; (5) characterizing the spatiotemporal activity of various proteins in regulating mitotic spindle function; and (6) detecting allosteric conformational changes in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This award will enable Grinnell College faculty and students to address questions that are beyond their current capability. The results will be disseminated in publications in peer-reviewed journals and in presentations at scientific conferences throughout the world.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.