Zeiss Dynamic Laser TIRF

描述（由申请人提供）：我们有动力在UIC获得全内反射荧光显微镜（TIRFM）系统，因为我们意识到我们对复杂生物过程的理解，如小泡介导的内吞和胞外分泌、细胞-细胞粘附、细胞骨架重塑、病毒颗粒和药物偶联物的囊泡运输以及信号转导，需要对发生在质膜或其附近的事件进行高分辨率动态成像。了解复杂病理过程（如转运、炎症、细胞骨架重塑、病毒侵入、信号和分子成像）所需的智力和技术资源已经到位，因此先进的TIRFM技术将对帮助我们进行研究至关重要，并促进具有不同但相容兴趣的研究人员之间的互动。有了这项新技术，我们将能够更有效地解决这些研究问题。这个TIRF显微镜的应用表明了UIC的跨部门合作以及我们对动态信号和贩运事件的实时成像的共同兴趣和需求。作为一个小组，我们的总体目标是了解发生在细胞膜上的动态分子事件。TIRF成像将为我们提供前所未有的机会来描述参与细胞粘附和腔泡运输、细胞信号传导和细胞骨架蛋白重塑的关键蛋白之间的基本分子相互作用。作为一个在心肺生物学、细胞生理学和免疫学领域的基础和应用研究项目的跨学科研究小组，我们的优势为这种仪器的需求提供了基础。我们将能够整合多个研究领域和兴趣，包括血管炎症和损伤的病理生理学，活细胞成像，细胞运输，细胞粘附和血管生物学。相关性：蔡司动态激光TIRFM系统的加入将为UIC的几个关键NIH资助的研究人员提供独特的优势，我们在内皮细胞功能，病毒进入和囊泡运输，细胞骨架蛋白重塑，粘附生物物理学，信号转导和分子成像方面拥有全国公认的跟踪记录。如果他的建议获得成功，TIRFM技术将大大加强这种竞争优势。我们相信，获得的见解将有潜力开拓抗炎治疗和药物递送，细胞重塑和理解病毒进入途径的新方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We are motivated to obtain a Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (TIRFM) system at UIC because of the realization that our understanding of complex biological processes, such as caveolae-mediated endocytosis and exocytosis, cell-cell adhesion, remodeling of the cytoskeleton, vesicle trafficking of viral particles and drug conjugates, and signal transduction requires high resolution dynamic imaging of events occurring at or near the plasma membrane. The intellectual and technological resources necessary to understand complex pathological processes such as transport, inflammation, cytoskeletal remodeling, viral entry, signaling and molecular imaging are in place, and thus the advanced TIRFM technology will be critical in helping us to proceed in our investigations as well as foster interactions among investigators with diverse but compatible interests. With availability of this new technology, we will be able to address these research questions more effectively. This application for a TIRF microscope the inter-departmental collaborations at UIC and our common interest and need for real time imaging of dynamic signaling and trafficking events. Our overall objective as a group is to understand dynamic molecular events occurring at the cell membrane. TIRF imaging will provide us with here-to-fore unavailable opportunity to delineate basic molecular interactions among key proteins involved in cell adhesion and caveolar trafficking, cell signaling, and remodeling of cytoskeletal proteins. Our strengths, as an interdisciplinary research group in basic and applied research programs in the areas of Heart and Lung Biology, Cell Physiology, and Immunology, provide the basis for the need for this instrumentation. We will be able to integrate a number of research areas and interests including pathophysiology of vascular inflammation and injury, live cell imaging, cellular trafficking, cell adhesion, and vascular biology. Relevance: The addition of the Zeiss Dynamic Laser TIRFM system will provide a unique advantage that is relevant to several key NIH funded investigators at UIC where we have nationally-recognized track-record in endothelial cell function, virus entry and vesicle trafficking, cytoskeletal protein remodeling, adhesion biophysics, signal transduction and molecular imaging. If his proposal is successful, the TIRFM technology will significantly strengthen this competitive edge. We believe that the insights gained will have the potential for pioneering novel approaches for anti-inflammatory therapeutics and drug delivery, cellular remodeling and understanding viral entry pathways.