Transmission Electron Microscope for a Shared Core Facility

描述(由申请人提供)：这项拨款申请要求资金购买FEI Technai G2 SPIRIT生物双胞胎透射式电子显微镜。在维克森林大学医学院唯一的共用显微镜核心设施中，这一必要的仪器需要取代已有30年历史的飞利浦400电子显微镜。这种新仪器拥有计算机控制的操作系统、数字成像相机和高达120千伏的加速电压，可以对生物标本进行高分辨率的透射电子显微镜成像。这个共享显微镜核心的空间、管理、经验丰富的技术人员和机构支持已经存在了20多年，并支持许多不同部门的几名NIH赠款资助的研究人员的研究，其中包括在本申请中被列为当前主要用户的10名研究人员。除电子显微镜仪器外，核心设施还包括现有的扫描电子显微镜仪器和基于光的显微镜仪器，包括数字荧光显微镜、共焦显微镜、延时显微镜和激光捕获显微解剖显微镜，所有这些都是分析电子显微镜样品的强有力的相关工具。该核心提供透射电子显微镜支持准备服务，包括包埋和薄切片、冷冻显微切除、固定角度和旋转阴影和阴性染色，以及免疫细胞化学技术。这一新显微镜的获得对于提供最先进的仪器以继续支持NIH资助的研究人员的显微镜需求至关重要，为这些项目和新的研究项目提供了更好的灵活性和可靠性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This grant application requests funds for the purchase of an FEI Technai G2 Spirit Bio- Twin transmission electron microscope. This essential instrument is needed to replace an aged and undependable >30 year old Philips 400 TEM in the sole shared-use microscopy core facility in the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. This new instrument has computer-controlled operating systems, a digital imaging camera, and up to 120kV accelerating voltage to allow high resolution TEM imaging of biological specimens. Space, administration, highly-experienced technicians and institutional support for this shared microscopy core have been in place for over 20 years, and support the research of several NIH grant-funded investigators in many different departments, including a group of 10 investigators listed in this application as current major users. The core facility includes, in addition to the TEM instrument, an existing SEM instrument and light-based microscopy instruments, including digital fluorescence, confocal, time-lapse and laser-capture microdissection microscopes, all of which serve as strong correlative tools for the analysis of TEM samples. The core provides TEM support preparative services, including embedding and thin sectioning, cryoultramicrotomy, fixed angle and rotary shadowing and negative staining, as well as immunocytochemical techniques. The acquisition of this new microscope is critical to provide a state-of-the art instrument to continue the support of microscopy needs for NIH-funded investigators, with improved flexibility and dependability for these and for new research projects.