Electron microscopy camera to study essential cellular processes and nanomaterials development.

用于研究基本细胞过程和纳米材料开发的电子显微镜相机。

• 批准号: RTI-2023-00079
• 负责人: Ortega, Joaquin
• 金额: $ 10.91万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=743453
• 关键词: Electron; microscopy; camera; study; essential

This application requests a latest-generation CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera for our Tecnai Spirit transmission electron microscope. This microscope is integrated within the Facility for Electron Microscopy Research (FEMR) at McGill, Canada's largest and most innovative electron microscopy platform that supports over 270 research programs (~50% NSERC funded) and ~750 Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP). Applicants in this proposal will use this camera to collect high-resolution images to support their NSERC-funded research programs. Ortega (principal applicant) will use this new camera to describe alternative translation initiation mechanisms in bacteria. This is a fundamental biological process in bacteria with practical implications in biotechnology and bioengineering. Guarné (co-applicant) is a Canada Research Chair (tier 1) at McGill, and her program studies DNA repair mechanisms. Kakkar (co-applicant) requires this camera to design nanomaterials for bio-separation, disease evaluation and theranostics. These accomplished researchers have published over 100 publications in the last six years in high-impact journals (Science, Nature Communications, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, etc.) and secured competitive funds from NSERC, CIHR, NIH, CFI and the province of Quebec (FRQNT). Considering other potential users from all over Eastern Canada accessing the camera through the Facility for Electron Microscopy Research, the requested camera will serve investigations into virtually all aspects of Natural Sciences and Engineering. The new camera will replace an existing 14-year-old Gatan US4000 CCD camera, which is no longer produced or serviced by the vendor. It frequently breaks, leading to extended downtimes that impose significant delays in the research programs and completion time (PhD and MSc) for HQP. Delaying the acquisition of a new camera will cause these researchers to lose ground with their competitors working with modern cameras. The new requested camera will significantly enhance the quality and resolution of the acquired data. Its movie mode allows for drift compensation. This is especially beneficial on microscopes with a side entry holder, such as our Tecnai Spirit, where the camera will be installed. The new camera will also allow exceptional training of HQP. About 20 HQP in the applicants' laboratories will be hands-on trained on the new camera. However, the impact on HQP training will be broader since the system will be incorporated into FEMR and benefit the training of ~150 HQP from ~30 laboratories. This camera will play a central role in training the next generation of imaging scientists. Together with the staff at FEMR, our laboratories provide the context where HQP will develop electron microscopy and data analysis skills, which are presently highly sought after by biopharmaceutical companies developing vaccines and nanodevices for drug delivery.

此应用要求为我们的Tecnai Spirit透射电子显微镜配备最新一代CMOS（互补金属氧化物半导体）相机。该显微镜集成在麦吉尔的电子显微镜研究设施（FEMR）中，这是加拿大最大和最具创新性的电子显微镜平台，支持270多个研究项目（约50%由NSERC资助）和约750名高素质人员（HQP）。本提案中的申请人将使用该相机收集高分辨率图像，以支持他们的NSERC资助的研究计划。Ortega（主要申请人）将使用这种新相机来描述细菌中的替代翻译起始机制。这是细菌中的一个基本生物过程，在生物技术和生物工程中具有实际意义。Guarné（共同申请人）是麦吉尔大学的加拿大研究主席（1级），她的项目研究DNA修复机制。Kakkar（共同申请人）要求该相机设计用于生物分离、疾病评估和治疗诊断学的纳米材料。在过去的六年里，这些有成就的研究人员在高影响力的期刊（Science，Nature Communications，Nature Structural and Molecular Biology等）上发表了100多篇论文。并从NSERC、CIHR、NIH、CFI和魁北克省（FRQNT）获得了竞争性资金。考虑到来自加拿大东部各地的其他潜在用户通过电子显微镜研究设施访问相机，所要求的相机将服务于自然科学和工程的几乎所有方面的调查。新相机将取代现有的14岁的Gatan US4000 CCD相机，该相机不再由供应商生产或维修。它经常中断，导致停机时间延长，从而导致HQP的研究计划和完成时间（博士和硕士）的显着延迟。推迟购买新相机将导致这些研究人员与使用现代相机的竞争对手失去优势。所要求的新相机将大大提高所获取数据的质量和分辨率。其电影模式允许漂移补偿。这对于带有侧入式保持器的显微镜尤其有利，例如我们的Tecnai Spirit，相机将安装在那里。新相机还将允许HQP的特殊培训。约20名在申请机构实验室工作的HQP将接受新相机的实际操作培训。然而，对HQP培训的影响将更广泛，因为该系统将被纳入FEMR，并有利于来自约30个实验室的约150名HQP的培训。这款相机将在培养下一代成像科学家方面发挥核心作用。与FEMR的工作人员一起，我们的实验室提供了HQP将开发电子显微镜和数据分析技能的背景，这些技能目前受到生物制药公司开发疫苗和药物输送纳米器件的高度追捧。