Request for a Spectral Confocal Microscope

描述（由申请人提供）：11名NIH资助的研究人员和1名NIH申请待决的初级研究人员正在NCRR共享仪器资助计划下寻求支持，以获得尼康A1激光扫描共聚焦显微镜。尼康显微镜是合理的，因为南亚拉巴马大学提供的另外两台共焦显微镜--一台已有九年历史的Leica TCS SP2光谱共焦显微镜和一台已有五年历史的PerkinElmer Ultraview RS-3旋转圆盘共焦显微镜--被三十个实验室和五十多个人大量使用。因此，使用这些显微镜已成为进行研究的限速步骤。这种限制已经恶化，因为增加的使用和年龄已导致组件故障和随后的徕卡系统停机时间。此外，无论是显微镜是能够获得高分辨率的共聚焦图像的准备工作在环境室或活细胞，时间推移测量的多个荧光团。BioImaging Core Facility的指导委员会已经确定Nikon A1激光扫描共聚焦显微镜是最适合我们需求的系统，因为它具有高采集速度，高空间分辨率，结合声光可调滤波器来控制激光强度，并且能够同时采集分成32个2.5，5或10 nm的单独波长箱的光谱，以及尼康在南亚拉巴马大学的卓越客户服务。尼康显微镜将支持一组研究人员在肺内皮生物学，血管平滑肌生物学和癌症生物学领域进行研究。因此，这项工作与理解导致高血压，血管疾病，COPD和乳腺癌的潜在因素以及这些疾病的治疗方法的发展高度相关。该系统将与两台当前的共聚焦显微镜一起安置在生物成像核心设施中。美国医学院已承诺提供更大的空间，并为与尼康签订的三年延长服务合同提供财政支持，以及一名博士。管理生物成像核心设施。这个人将协助研究人员使用尼康系统，以及实验设计的其他方面。生物成像核心设施将确保系统的适当使用和共享。新一代共聚焦显微镜的加入将大大扩展NIH资助的南亚拉巴马大学校园研究人员的成像能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Eleven NIH-funded investigators and one junior investigator with a pending NIH application are seeking support under the NCRR Shared Instrumentation Grant Program to obtain a Nikon A1 laser scanning confocal microscope. The Nikon microscope is justified because the two other confocal microscopes available at the University of South Alabama - a nine-year-old Leica TCS SP2 spectral confocal microscope and a five year old PerkinElmer Ultraview RS-3 spinning disk confocal microscope - are heavily used by thirty labs and more than fifty individuals. As such, access to these microscopes has become a rate-limiting step in conducting research. This limitation has worsened because increased usage and age have led to component failure and subsequent down time of the Leica system. In addition, neither microscope is capable of obtaining high resolution confocal images of preparations in environmental chambers or making live-cell, time lapse measurements of multiple fluorophores. The steering committee of the BioImaging Core Facility has identified the Nikon A1 laser scanning confocal microscope as the system best suited for our needs, because of its high acquisition speed, high-spatial resolution, incorporation of an acousto-optical tunable filter to control laser intensity, and ability to simultaneously acquire spectra divided into 32 separate wavelength bins of 2.5, 5, or 10 nm, and Nikon's excellent customer service at the University of South Alabama. The Nikon microscope will support a group of investigators conducting research in the areas of Lung Endothelial Biology, Vascular Smooth Muscle Biology, and Cancer Biology. As such, the work is highly relevant to understanding the underlying factors contributing to hypertension, vascular disease, COPD, and breast cancer, as well as the development of treatments for these conditions. The system will be housed in the BioImaging Core Facility with the two current confocal microscopes. The USA College of Medicine has committed to refurbish space, and to provide financial support for a three-year extended service contract with Nikon, and a Ph.D. level manager to run the BioImaging Core Facility. This individual will assist researchers with the use of the Nikon system, as well as other aspects of experimental design. The BioImaging Core Facility will ensure appropriate use and sharing of the system. The addition of the new generation confocal microscope will greatly expand the imaging capabilities available to NIH-funded researchers present on University of South Alabama campus.