Laser Spinning Disc Confocal System for live-cell and live-organism microscopy

描述(由申请人提供)：此申请申请资金购买新的激光旋转盘显微镜(LSDM)，作为罗格斯大学和罗伯特·伍德·约翰逊医学院(RWJMS)的研究人员的共享资源，这两所学校位于新泽西州皮斯卡塔韦的一个共享校园内。目前，在罗格斯大学或RWJMS校区的任何地方都没有激光旋转圆盘显微镜(LSDM)。NIH资助的研究人员要求使用这种仪器，他们正在研究细胞生物学的基本问题，利用模型生物来研究保守的生物过程，这些过程对健康的生长和发育至关重要，在疾病条件下会受到损害。秀丽线虫在Driscoll实验室对长寿和神经退化的研究正在识别控制寿命的过程和分子，以及在受损神经元中发生变化的分子。沃兹沃斯实验室已经确定了后生动物物种中轴突正常迁移所需的保守分子。格兰特实验室对内吞作用的研究已经确定了调节受体运输的关键机制，在蠕虫和人类中发现了许多新的调节因子。秀丽线虫在索托实验室对胚胎发育过程中细胞外基质对肌动蛋白细胞骨架的调节的研究正在确定轴突引导分子组织组织的新角色，并确定肌动蛋白极化机制的新组件。巴尔实验室使用线虫发育过程中的纤毛作为研究人类纤毛疾病的模型系统。在McKim实验室对果蝇减数分裂的研究已经确定了通过生殖细胞的发育来实现正常生育所需的分子，而在Singson实验室的线虫研究已经确定了受精和卵子到卵母细胞转换所需的第一个精子受体和其他分子。要分析这些细胞过程，需要对生物事件进行实时成像，但所有这些研究人员都无法使用本地激光旋转圆盘共聚焦显微镜。拥有这一仪器将产生立竿见影的效果：在蔡司LSDM系统一个月的演示期间，三份手稿纳入了从演示仪器获得的图像，该仪器一直在使用。这一工具显然将加快这项提案中列出的7名NIH资助的研究人员获取数据的速度。所获得的数据将极大地提高我们对蛋白质运输、细胞骨架极化和神经元再生等基本细胞现象的理解。 与公共卫生相关：为同一校园内两所相邻大学--罗格斯大学和罗伯特·伍德·约翰逊医学院的研究人员添加激光旋转圆盘共聚焦显微镜系统，将使这些科学家能够开展研究项目，为我们提供必要的见解，以了解细胞在正常发育和疾病状态下的行为。这些研究人员研究细胞的基本过程，包括细胞如何运动，神经元等细胞在损伤后如何愈合，以及分子如何正确定位于细胞的特定区域。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests funds to purchase a new laser spinning disc microscope (LSDM) to be used as a shared resource for researchers at Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), two schools on a shared campus in Piscataway, New Jersey. There is currently no laser spinning disc microscope (LSDM) available anywhere on the Rutgers or RWJMS campuses. The NIH-funded researchers requesting this instrument are studying fundamental problems in cell biology, taking advantage of model organisms to study conserved biological processes that are essential for healthy growth and development and that are compromised in disease conditions. C. elegans studies of longevity and neurodegeneration in the Driscoll lab are identifying the processes and the molecules that control lifespan and that become altered in injured neurons. The Wadsworth lab has identified conserved molecules required for proper axonal migrations across metazoan species. Studies of endocytosis in the Grant lab have identified key mechanisms for the regulation of receptor trafficking, identifying many new regulators in worms and humans. C. elegans studies of the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton by the Extracellular Matrix during embryonic development in the Soto Lab are identifying new roles for axonal guidance molecules organizing tissues, and identifying new components of the actin polarization machinery. The Barr Lab uses cilia in developing C. elegans as a model system to study human ciliopathies, or diseases of cilia. Drosophila studies of meiosis in the McKim lab have identified molecules required for proper fertility through the development of germ cells, while C. elegans studies in the Singson lab have identified the first sperm receptor and other molecules required for fertilization and the egg-to-oocyte transition. Live imaging of biological events is required to analyze these cellular processes, yet all of these researchers lack access to a local laser spinning disc confocal microscope. Having this instrument available would have an immediate impact: during a one-month demonstration of the Zeiss LSDM system three manuscripts incorporated images obtained from the demonstration instrument, and the instrument was in constant use. This instrument will clearly accelerate the acquisition of data by the 7 NIH-funded researchers listed in this proposal. The data obtained will dramatically enhance our understanding of such essential cellular phenomena as protein trafficking, polarization of the cytoskeleton and regeneration in neurons. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The addition of a laser spinning disc confocal microscopy system for the researchers at two adjacent universities on a shared campus, Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, will allow these scientists to pursue research projects that will provide us with the insights necessary to understand how cells behave during normal development and in disease states. These researchers study essential processes of cells including how cells move, how cells like neurons are healed after injury, and how molecules are localized correctly to specific regions of cells.