Confocal imaging resources for the JHU Zebrafish Center

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This S10 Shared Instrumentation Grant application seeks funding in support of confocal live imaging resources for the Johns Hopkin University's Center for Functional Investigation in Zebrafish, also known as FinZ Center. FinZ Center was established in 2008 under joint funding from the School of Medicine, the Institute for Cellular Engineering (ICE), and the Johns Hopkins McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM). The Center is currently led by three scientific co-directors, Steven Leach, Andrew McCallion and Michael Parsons, each of whom is a noted investigator in zebrafish genetics and zebrafish developmental biology. Together with Dr. Joshua Mendell, another IGM faculty member pursuing work in zebrafish, this group will comprise the Major User Group for the proposed Zeiss LSM 710 confocal microscope. These four Major Users are all highly regarded investigators in a variety of scientific fields with direct impact on human health, including pancreatic development, pancreatic cancer, neuronal differentiation, b-cell regeneration, computational prediction of gene regulatory sequences, neural crest biology and the role of microRNAs in human malignancy. Together, they serve as PI's or co-Pis on seven NIH R01 or P01 grants, funded by four different NIH Institutes (NIGM, NICHD, NIDDK and NCI). Based on the Major User Group's common need for live imaging of zebrafish embryos and other tissues in support of their NIH-funded work, this application seeks funding for a Zeiss LSM 710 3-channel spectral confocal system, with an environmental control system to support long-term imaging of zebrafish embryos, tissues and cells. Justification for this request is based on the following documented elements: 1) the Zeiss 710 system offers an unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio associated with a unique scan head design, providing the opportunity to apply high resolution spectral imaging to deep-seated zebrafish tissues; 2) the fact that Johns Hopkins Microscopy Core resources here at Johns Hopkins are already fully subscribed and therefore cannot accommodate the 10-36 hour time lapse imaging protocols required by the Major User Group; and 3) consistent with the broader goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the ordering, shipping, installation, maintenance and daily use of this microscope will directly stimulate multiple segments of the U.S. economy, and lead to the direct hiring of new technical staff.