High resolution confocal microscope

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On behalf of the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, the Working Group of Behavior Neuroscience would like to apply for a high-resolution confocal microscope to analyze the underlying cellular mechanisms and neural circuitry underlying neurodegenerative diseases. The Working Group of Behavior Neuroscience and Department of General Zoology and Neurobiology have a long-standing interest in identifying the different G protein coupled second messenger players and ion channels responsible for debilitating diseases such as ataxia, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder and blindness in living tissues and behaving mice. We created and utilize available mouse models to the human diseases, episodic ataxia type 2, spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 and retinal degeneration to understand the underlying mechanisms of these diseased states. By applying a combination of state-of-the-art optogenetic, chemogenetic, genetically encoded fluorescent sensor and calcium imaging, electrophysiology and behavioral techniques, we are strongly equipped to tackle and dissect out these complex disease states which would highly benefit from a high-resolution microscopic system. A high-resolution device would enable long term live cell imaging from subcellular organelles and aggregates (high-resolution) expressing up to 6 different fluorescent proteins (spectral separation/unmixing) and simultaneously removing autofluorescence (autofluorescence correction feature). Currently there is a high demand and need for a high-resolution confocal microscope in the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology which our current confocal microscope cannot fulfill. The high-resolution microscope requested will be a multi-user facility and be available for all faculty members in the Departments of Biology and Biotechnology and Informatics, and at the Ruhr-University Bochum.