Imagining & Image Analysis Core

在过去9年的Cobre Grant资助中，Edward C.Carlson成像和图像分析核心设施已成为一个重要的研究资源，支持我们Cobre Grant资助的神经退行性疾病研究小组以及其他研究人员对显微成像和图像分析的要求。该中心维护和提供荧光、共焦、多光子活体和电子显微镜仪器，协助研究人员设计实验，开发新的应用，培训研究人员显微镜方法和设备的使用，并为核心用户提供与显微成像相关的信息资源。核心设备包括两台共焦显微镜、一台多光子/可见光共焦活体内显微镜、两台荧光显微镜、两台电子显微镜和一系列辅助显微镜设备。采购新的精密共焦和多光子设备、维护服务合同、支持工作人员职位以及增加对调查人员使用我们的成像和图像分析设备的培训，使调查人员能够使用在Cobre计划之前不可用的一系列成像应用程序。在核心所开展的工作产生的出版物的数量已经增加，从基础科学部门产生的出版物中约有三分之一包括在成像核心设施中收集的数据。此外，来自校园其他部分的研究人员，包括生物、化学和化学工程系，以及来自UND校园内的能源和环境研究中心的研究人员都使用该设施。在成像核心设施中开展的项目研究了广泛的生物医学问题，包括细胞和组织中的蛋白质分布和表达、蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用、膜受体和转运体的分布和功能，以及作为疾病发病标志的细胞和组织变化。对这一核心的持续支持将对我们的研究事业的发展至关重要，并将使核心成为一种可持续的资源，支持整个校园以及该地区的其他地方的研究。

Over the past 9 years of COBRE grant support, the Edward C. Carlson Imaging and Image Analysis Core Facility has become an important research resource that supports the microscopic imaging and image analysis requirements of our COBRE grant supported neurodegenerative disease research group as well as other investigators. The Core maintains and provides access to fluorescence, confocal, multiphoton intravital and electron microscopy instrumentation, assists investigators in the design of experiments, develops new applications, and trains investigators in microscopic methods and use of the equipment, and provides core users with information resources related to microscopic imaging. Equipment housed in the Core includes two confocal microscopes, a multiphoton/visible confocal intravital microscope, two fluorescence microscopes, two electron microscopes, and a range of ancillary microscopy equipment. Acquisition of new sophisticated confocal and multiphoton equipment, maintenance of service contracts, support for staff positions, and increased training of investigators in the use of our imaging and image analysis equipment has provided investigators with the ability to employ a range of imaging applications that were not available prior to the COBRE program. The number of publications arising from work performed in the Core has increased to the point where approximately 1/3 of the publications arising from the basic science departments include data collected in the Imaging Core Facility. Moreover, investigators from other parts of campus including the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering as well as from the Energy and Environmental Research Center on the UND campus use the facility. Projects conducted in the Imaging Core Facility investigate a broad range of biomedical issues including protein distribution and expression in cells and tissues, protein-protein interactions, membrane receptor and transporter distribution and function, and cellular and tissue changes as hallmarks of disease pathogenesis. Continued support of this Core will be critical to growing our research enterprise, and will allow the Core to become a sustainable resource that supports research campus-wide as well as elsewhere in the region.