Confocal Microscope

描述(由申请者提供)：这项提案要求为纽约城市学院生物系的教员使用共焦显微镜作为共享成像仪器提供资金。共焦显微镜将促进NIH资助的八名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共焦显微镜，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层面。目前，城市学院理学系的任何一个系都没有共焦显微镜。目前共焦显微镜的使用者正在使用纽约和波士顿的其他研究机构的收费设施。包括博士后研究员、研究生、本科生和研究助理在内的9名首席研究人员和40多名研究人员将每天使用所要求的显微镜。用户的研究项目涵盖了各种不同的共聚焦应用，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，胸腺哺育细胞功能以及果蝇的造血和免疫反应的研究。共焦显微镜的使用对这些研究至关重要。需要资金购买尼康C1型共聚焦显微镜。这款显微镜具有高质量的光学、分辨率和出色的图像质量，并且具有通用性，并与大多数成像软件兼容。此外，与其他制造商相比，显微镜的低成本和服务质量是值得关注的重要问题。共焦显微镜是一种关键的必备仪器，在大多数部门都是相对标准的。获得共聚焦显微镜将极大地提高NIH资助的城市学院研究人员的质量和生产率。

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.