Acquisition of a High-throughput Confocal Imaging System

描述（由申请人提供）：几乎每个生物过程的核心都是潜在的细胞生物学，使科学家能够“看到”细胞内发生的事情。因此，动态高分辨率成像已成为几乎所有生物实验室的支柱。虽然该技术继续快速发展，但大部分成像仍然是低通量的，在任何给定时间只能分析单个样品。随着大规模基因组学、蛋白质组学和功能基因组学方法的出现成为新发现的主要途径，我们也必须有能力用高通量细胞学来补充这些研究。该方案旨在获得一个高通量的共焦成像系统。拟议的仪器包括一个高通量显微镜系统，环境室活哺乳动物细胞工作，板处理机器人和数据服务器。该系统专门设计用于对多孔板格式（6-1536个威尔斯孔）的样本进行高含量成像。这种仪器将使我们的用户能够通过对荧光标记样品的高通量分析来解决各种生物医学问题。通过有丝分裂进行细胞高分辨率成像的能力将使用户能够阐明细胞周期进展的分子机制，并可能识别新的化疗靶点。对微生物细胞分裂和分化以及生物膜形成进行高通量遗传筛选的能力将使用户能够深入了解控制这些过程的机制，并可能导致发现抗生素开发的新途径。最后，神经药理学信号在大脑功能的各个方面都至关重要。在高通量细胞学检测中进行药理学筛选的能力将是其目前阐明信号转导途径的方法的主要增强。总体而言，拟议的仪器将对我们大学生命科学研究人员的研究方法和进展产生重大影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): At the heart of nearly every biological process is the underlying cell biology that allows scientists to "see" what is happening within a cell. Dynamic high-resolution imaging has therefore become a mainstay in nearly any biological laboratory. While the technology has continued to evolve at a rapid pace, much of the imaging remains low-throughput where only a single sample can be analyzed at any given time. With the advent of large-scale genomics, proteomics, and functional genomics approaches being major routes to new discoveries, it is imperative that we also have the ability to complement those studies with high- throughput cytology. This proposal is to acquire a high-throughput confocal imaging system. The proposed instrumentation comprises a high-throughput microscope system, environmental chamber for live mammalian cell work, plate handling robotics and data servers. The system is specifically designed to perform high-content imaging of samples in a multi-well plate format (6-1536 wells). This instrumentation will allow our users to approach a wide array of biomedical questions that can be pursued through high- throughput analysis of fluorescently labeled samples. The ability to perform high-resolution imaging of cells progressing through mitosis will allow users to elucidate molecular mechanisms of cell cycle progression and the potential identification of new targets for chemotherapeutic development. The ability to perform high-throughput genetic screens of microbial cell division and differentiation as well as biofilm formation will allow users to gain insight into the mechanisms controlling these processes and may lead to the discovery of new pathways for antibiotic development. Finally neuropharmacological signaling is crucial in all aspects of brain function. The ability to perform pharmacological screens in high-throughput cytological assays would be a major enhancement over their current approaches of elucidating the signal transduction pathways. Overall the proposed instrumentation would have a significant impact on the research approaches and progress made by life sciences researchers at our university.