Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) to Enhance Research Capabilities at Western Kentucky University

西肯塔基大学(WKU)被授予获得荧光激活细胞分类器(FACS)的奖项，以增加一所以本科为主的大学的学生社区的学习和研究培训机会。它将使不同的本科生群体通过使用最新技术来产生高质量的研究数据来获得实践技能。除了本科生和硕士学生，卡罗尔·马丁·加顿数学与科学学院的高中生将参与由FACS系统实现的研究。这项技术的使用将通过获取新的研究技能、数据分析以及通过在地方、地区和国家会议上发表演讲来交流研究成果，丰富学生的学习和研究经验。收购FACS将进一步为学生提供独特的学习和研究培训机会和体验，并为西卡罗来纳大学和肯塔基州中南部地区的教师提供研究机会。这台细胞分选机将使学生和研究人员能够使用现代技术进行单细胞分析，并深入了解正常和应激相关条件下的体内分子变化，如感染、癌症、睡眠呼吸暂停或接触化学物质。因此，获得FACS的奖项将有利地影响西科大教职员工在不同领域的研究，包括微生物学、免疫学、癌症生物学、细胞周期进展、毒理学、发育生物学、内分泌学和神经生物学。这将有助于更好地理解细胞正常运作的分子和信号通路。该仪器将扩大学生参与研究的机会，并加强西九龙大学的研究。FACS将用于免疫学和细胞生物学实验室课程，使不在研究实验室工作的学生学习流式细胞术和细胞分类的概念和应用，这将建立从样本的获取和处理到计数、分类和表征不同细胞类型的系统了解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 Western Kentucky University (WKU) to obtain a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) to enhance learning and research training opportunities for the student community at a primarily undergraduate university. It will enable the diverse, undergraduate population to gain hands-on skills with using up-to-date technology in producing high quality research data. Besides undergraduate and Master’s students, high school students from the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science will participate in research enabled by the FACS system. The use of this technology will enrich student learning and research experience through acquisition of new research skills, data analysis and communication of research through presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. The acquisition of FACS will further promote unique learning and research training opportunities and experiences for student as well as provide faculty research opportunities at WKU and in the south-central Kentucky region. The cell sorting machine will enable students and researchers to use modern technology to perform single cell analysis and gain insights of in-vivo molecular changes during normal and stress-related conditions such as an infection, cancer, sleep apnea, or exposure to chemicals. Thus, the award to acquire FACS will favorably impact WKU faculty research in diverse fields including microbiology, immunology, cancer biology, cell cycle progression, toxicology, developmental biology, endocrinology, and neurobiology. It will lead to better understanding of the molecular and signaling pathways for normal functioning of the cells. The instrument will expand opportunities for student involvement in research and enhance research at WKU. The FACS will be used in immunology and cell biology laboratory courses to enable students who are not working in research laboratories to learn the concepts and application of flow cytometry and cell sorting which will build a systematic understanding from acquisition and processing of samples to counting, sorting, and characterizing diverse cell types.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.