Live Cell Imaging Confocal Microscope System

描述（由申请人提供）：梅哈里医学院的研究人员和他们的学员迫切需要一台能够高速和长期成像的共聚焦显微镜，以捕捉活细胞内发生的动态过程。这些研究包括检查荧光标记的单个分子之间的相互作用，以及检查一个或几个同时标记的分子从一个细胞内室到另一个细胞内室的天然和调节的贩运。这些研究建议使用过去几年引进的最先进的技术（FRET， FLIP， FRAP等），这些技术仍在发展，以及新型荧光探针，可以在细胞内的离散区域光激活或光转换，并随时间监测。校园里没有具备必要功能的设备来解决我们教师的同行评审和资助研究的假设。为了满足我们的研究人员及其学员的需求，我们建议购买尼康A1R共聚焦显微镜，安装在我们的形态学核心设施中，该设施由PI J. Shawn Goodwin博士领导，他在所有拟议的技术方面经验丰富，并参与了全国范围内的改进。Meharry的研究人员专注于妇女健康（包括心血管疾病）、艾滋病毒/艾滋病、癌症、大脑和行为等领域的健康差异研究。虽然我们的研究人员可以在同样位于纳什维尔的范德比尔特大学医学中心获得类似仪器的试验数据，但范德比尔特大学也缺乏一种既能进行高分辨率点扫描，又能进行高速共振扫描，并带有集成的完美聚焦系统的仪器。所有这些都是由尼康A1R共聚焦显微镜提供的。此外，我们已经了解到，在校外进行活细胞成像研究不利于我们教师及其研究项目的生产力，特别是在IACUC或IRB监管范围内使用新鲜分离的或来自珍贵生物标本的原代培养物的研究。同样重要的是，这项关键技术在校园的可用性对于我们机构培养下一代杰出的少数民族生物医学科学研究人员的使命至关重要。尼康A1R将被安置的形态学核心的长期目标是提供技术专长和最先进的仪器，以提高Meharry学院研究人员的生产力；在追求核心和学院的使命中，获得尼康A1R将以一种变革性的方式受益于主要和次要用户的同行评审和资助研究以及他们的学员的科学发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Meharry Medical College investigators and their trainees have an immediate need for a confocal microscope capable of high speed as well as long-term imaging to capture dynamic processes occurring within living cells. These studies include examining interactions between fluorescently tagged individual molecules as well as examining native and regulated trafficking of one or several simultaneously labeled molecules from one intracellular compartment to another. The studies proposed use state of the art technologies introduced over the last several years (FRET, FLIP, FRAP, etc.) which are still evolving, as well as novel fluorescent probes that can be photoactivated or photoconverted in discrete regions within cells, and monitored over time. No equipment with the required features for addressing the hypotheses of our faculty members' peer-reviewed and funded studies exists on campus. To meet the needs of our investigators and their trainees, we are proposing purchase of the Nikon A1R confocal microscope for installation in our Morphology Core Facility, which is under the leadership of the PI, Dr. J. Shawn Goodwin, who is experienced in all of the proposed technologies and participates in their refinement nationally. Meharry's investigators focus on health disparities research in the areas of Women's Health (including cardiovascular diseases), HIV/AIDS, Cancer, and Brain and Behavior. Though our investigators can obtain pilot data on similar instrumentation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, also in Nashville, Vanderbilt too lacks an instrument capable of both high resolution point scanning as well as high-speed, resonant scanning with an integrated perfect focus system. All of which are provided by the Nikon A1R confocal microscope. Furthermore, we have learned that routinely engaging in live cell imaging studies in an off campus setting is not conducive to the productivity of our faculty and their research programs, particularly in studies using freshly isolated or primary cultures derived from precious biological specimens under the purview of IACUC or IRB oversight. Equally importantly, the availability of this critical technology on campus is crucial for the mission of our institution to train the next generation of outstanding minority investigators in biomedical sciences. The long-range goal of the Morphology Core in which the Nikon A1R will be housed is to provide technical expertise and state-of-the-art instrumentation to enhance the productivity of Meharry's faculty investigators; in the pursuit of the mission of the Core and of the College, obtaining the Nikon A1R will benefit in a transformative fashion the peer-reviewed and funded research of the Major and Minor Users and the scientific development of their trainees.