Spinning disc confocal microscope for live cell imaging

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ten NIH-supported group leaders and their research staff at Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) request funds for the purchase of a Perkin Elmer UltraVIEW ERS FRET O spinning disc imaging system for confocal imaging of live cells. These investigators are involved in a variety of NIH-supported research projects requiring live cell imaging capability including Ca2+ signaling, cytoskeletal regulation, membrane dynamics, cellular responses to myocardial ischemic injury, phosphoinositide signaling, the role of novel cGMP binding proteins, and the structure-function relationships of contractile and signaling proteins in smooth muscle. The requested microscope with dedicated camera system allows for rapid confocal image acquisition, suitable for recording fast sequences of motions in live cells, as well as long time-courses, features not duplicated by standard fluorescence or traditional scanning confocal microscopy. The application is supported by considerable preliminary studies showing the suitability of the requested instrument for the ongoing studies. The microscope will be incorporated into the Cell Biology Core Facility. Maintenance and training of users will be provided by the PI and institute-supported technical staff. An advisory committee will be responsible for administrative and scientific oversight. The studies to be supported by the requested instrumentation will lead to ground-breaking discoveries in research areas including cell migration, apoptosis, cell signaling, and muscle development; and to understanding cancer, heart disease, pre-term labor, diabetes, and neuromuscular diseases among others.