MULTI-PHOTON CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE

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The purpose of the application is to upgrade the existing Core Confocal Facility at the University of Kansas with a state-of-the-art multi-photon confocal microscope. Over forty investigators have used the Core Confocal Facility for their research for the past five years. At this time the confocal microscope is dated and at risk of failure. It can not be upgraded mainly because the manufacturer, Meridian, is out of business. Thus, the goal of this proposal is to purchase a multi-photon confocal microscope for the Core Confocal Facility. The new multi-photon microscope would replace the existing Meridian confocal scope. The microscope would be available to all investigators within the University of Kansas system, and to researchers from other institutions. However, the majority of the research projects completed on the multi-photon microscope would come from nine laboratories. These investigators have been identified as "major users" of the new instrument. Their research areas cover several topics, which are described briefly. Drs. Nancy Berman and Paul Cheney explore the effects of HIV on brain tissue. They will use the multi-photon microscope to image brain slices labeled for neuronal markers. Dr, S.K. Dey studies implantation of mouse embryos and the signaling pathways activated around that event. He used a confocal microscope for visualizing signaling events and immunostaining tissue. Dr. Jared Grantham studies a component of the MAP kinase pathway in renal disease using immunostaining and confocal imaging. Dr. Michael Sarras focuses his research on cell/extracellular matrix interactions using dual wavelength fluorescence confocal microscopy. Dr. Lisa Stehno-Bittel investigates the transfer of molecules across the nuclear membrane using patch-clamp and confocal imaging. Dr. Michael Werele uses confocal microscopy to examine the mechanisms controlling synapse formation, stabilization, and elimination. Dr. Doug Wright studies the peripheral sensory neurons in injury and disease using antibodies and axon trackers for confocal imaging. The addition of a multi-photon confocal microscope to the Medical Center campus will greatly enhance the research efforts of these NIH-funded investigators along with other faculty members in the area.