Instrumentation Grant/Leica TCS SP2 Confocal Microscope

描述（由申请人提供）：这是一份修改后的申请，申请资金用于购买徕卡TCS SP2 AOBS共聚焦显微镜系统，以支持美国国立卫生研究院资助的迈阿密大学医学院的一组研究人员的研究项目，这些研究人员来自细胞生物学与解剖学、分子与细胞药理学和眼科。传统的激光扫描共聚焦显微镜（LSCM）现在是一种最先进的技术，用于重要成像和/或从厚生物标本中获取高分辨率光学切片。该领域的最新进展允许实时和多维成像，以及高质量的体内成像。因此，这种仪器对当前的前沿研究至关重要。所要求的仪器将主要用于由三个部门的分子细胞生物学家和视觉科学家组成的小型但基础广泛的用户群体。这些研究人员中有9人（关键人员）在其nih资助的研究中对该技术有丰富的经验。一些额外的研究人员是新用户，他们的访问将提供更广泛的方法。据估计，这一群体的需求将占仪器使用的约97%。剩下的时间将提供给加入该小组的新调查员，并支持机构核心设施，该设施目前严重超额预订。新的徕卡仪器将被安置在麦克奈特分析成像核心设施。该设施将由两名全职教员指导和共同指导，并由一名专门的技术经理监督，该技术经理将主要负责维护仪器和培训新用户。已经组织了一个咨询委员会来监督该仪器的使用和维修。咨询委员会制定了使用和公平分享该文书的政策以及长期维持该文书的计划。强有力的机构承诺为核心设施和仪器提供持续的支持。大约一半的主要用户需要大量的时间来使用仪器，而校园内现有的单一核心设施无法满足这些仪器的使用需求。所选择的仪器进一步满足了校园现有仪器无法满足的特定技术需求。改善对这项技术的获取将大大提高美国国立卫生研究院资助的用户组项目。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a revised application requesting funds to purchase a Leica TCS SP2 AOBS confocal microscopy system to support the research projects of a group of NIH-funded Investigators at the University of Miami School of Medicine, drawn from the Departments of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, and Ophthalmology. Conventional laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) is now a state-of-the-art technology for vital imaging and/or the acquisition of high-resolution optical sections from thick biological specimens. Recent advancements in this field allow real-time and multi-dimensional imaging, as well as high quality in vivo imaging. Thus this instrumentation is absolutely critical for current cutting edge research. The instrumentation requested will be dedicated primarily to a small but broad-based user group composed of molecular cell biologists and vision scientists drawn form three departments. Nine of these investigators (Key Personnel) have had extensive experience with the technology in their NIH-funded research. A number of additional investigators are new users for whom access will provide a broader range of approaches. It is estimated that the needs of this group will account for approximately 97% of instrumentation use. The remainder of the time will be made available to new investigators who join the group, and to back-up the institutional core facility, which is currently heavily overbooked. The new Leica instrument will be housed in the McKnight Analytic Imaging Core Facility. The facility will be directed and co-directed by two full-time faculty members and supervised by a dedicated technical manager who will have primary responsibility for maintaining the instrument and training new users. An advisory committee has been organized to oversee the use and maintenance of the instrument. Policies for the use and equitable sharing of the instrument, and a plan for its long-term maintenance have been established by the advisory committee. Strong institutional commitment provides ongoing support for the core facility and the instrumentation. About half of the members of the primary user group have extensive time needs for use of the instrumentation which cannot be satisfied by the single existing core facility on campus. The instrument chosen further satisfies specific technical needs that are not met by the existing instrumentation on campus. Improved access to this technology will greatly enhance the NIH-funded projects of the user group.