Confocal Microscope

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请申请一架共聚焦显微镜，作为纽约城市学院生物系的共享成像仪器。共聚焦显微镜将促进8位美国国立卫生研究院资助的研究人员的研究活动，其中一些人已经在他们的研究中使用了共聚焦显微镜，并将使其他人能够为他们正在进行的研究活动开创一个新的维度。目前，在城市学院科学系的任何部门都没有共聚焦显微镜。目前共聚焦显微镜的用户正在使用纽约和波士顿其他研究机构的收费设备。共有9名主要研究人员和40多名研究人员，包括博士后、研究生、本科生和研究助理，每天将使用所要求的显微镜。用户的研究项目涵盖了多种共聚焦应用，包括：鸟类鸣叫学习的细胞基础、线虫的神经递质功能、果蝇和高等脊椎动物的神经元发育、有孔虫研究、胸腺护理细胞功能和果蝇造血和免疫反应。使用共聚焦显微镜对这些研究至关重要。请求经费购买一台尼康C1共聚焦显微镜。该显微镜具有高质量的光学，分辨率和优秀的图像质量，是通用的，兼容大多数成像软件。此外，与其他制造商相比，显微镜的低成本和服务质量是重要的关注点。共聚焦显微镜是一种关键的必不可少的仪器，在大多数部门都是比较标准的。共聚焦显微镜的收购将大大提高质量和生产力的NIH资助的研究人员在城市学院。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests funds for a confocal microscope to be used as shared imaging instrument by the faculty in the department of biology at the City College of New York. The confocal microscope will facilitate the research activities of eight NIH-funded investigators some of whom already use confocal microscopy in their research, and will enable others to initiate a new dimension to their ongoing research activities. At the present time there is no confocal microscope available in any of the departments of the Division of science at City College. The current users of the confocal microscopy are using for-fee facilities at other research institutions in New York and Boston. A total of nine principal investigators and over 40 research personnel including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduates, and research assistants will use the requested microscope on a daily basis. The research projects of the users cover a diverse variety of confocal applications that include: cellular basis of song learning in birds, neurotransmitter function in nematodes, neuronal development in Drosophila and higher vertebrates, studies on Foraminifera, thymic nurse cell function and Drosophila hematopoiesis and immune response. The use of a confocal microscope is critical for these studies. Funds are requested for a Nikon C1 confocal microscope. This microscope has high quality optics, resolution and excellent image quality and is versatile and compatible to most imaging software. In addition, the low cost of the microscope and quality of service as compared to other manufacturers were important points of concern. The confocal microscope is a key essential instrument and relatively standard in most departments. Acquisition of the confocal microscope will greatly enhance the quality and the productivity of the NIH funded investigators at City College.