Leica SP8 Confocal Microscope

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION This application requests funds to purchase a new confocal microscope to support the imaging needs of over 30 investigators at the University of Michigan. The Brehm and Kellogg Research towers of the Kellogg Eye Center house both Diabetes and Vision research scientists that have worked collaboratively to achieve high quality imaging for over 10 years with support from the NIDDK-funded Michigan Diabetes Research Center and the NEI-funded Vision Research Core. These investigators share space in the Brehm Research tower and have established a shared Imaging Facility that supports tissue and cellular processing and imaging with a strong emphasis on confocal microscopy. However, two of the three confocal microscopes are now over 10 years old and unable to provide the imaging requirements of our investigators. We propose to purchase a new confocal microscope to replace two of the existing microscopes based on four major needs common to this group of investigators. First, the system provides high speed resonant scanning to produce tiled images of large organ structures with significant improvement in image resolution compared to currently available systems. Second, the new system possesses a broad spectrum of excitation and emission capabilities with a high degree of precision to allow specific signal detection. Third, the system provides the ability to reduce background autofluorescence through time gating, a feature required by a number of our Imaging Facility users. Fourth, the system will be outfitted for live cell imaging to provide quantitative live cell assays. The new microscope will support a large group of Major Users with NIH funding addressing such fundamental biological issues as central control of feeding behavior and retinal light detection and neural circuitry as well as fundamental cell biological problems such as ion channel function and distribution, cilia formation and cell division. Other Major Users study disease pathology, including diabetes, diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, age related macular degeneration and glaucoma. The new microscope will integrate into the shared Imaging Facility with a well-established infrastructure for providing service, training, and long-term support. Finally, the University of Michigan will provide substantial support to maintain and further equip the requested confocal microscope and the Imaging Facility. Collectively, the requested purchase will be part of a larger effort to provide imaging support to advance NIH funded research improving human health.