A Confocal Stereology Microscope for UNM's Fluorescence Microscopy Core

描述（由申请人提供）：基于设计的体视学已成为确保脑（和其他）组织切片中细胞数量和体积估计值无偏倚的必要方法。明确的用户需求是该建议的基础，即从MBF Bioscience购买集成的共聚焦体视学系统，该系统将提供复杂组织样本中细胞的准确、无偏计数和形态学鉴定。此外，该仪器将允许从多个领域和组织切片自动采集图像堆栈，使研究人员从显微镜上的繁琐时间中解脱出来。所采集的图像将被离线分析，从而释放仪器以供更多需要访问体视学的用户使用。该仪器将置于一个由机构支持的核心设施内，以确保提供出色的技术支持。新墨西哥州大学脑和行为疾病签名组的五名成员代表了主要用户，他们的研究兴趣是缺血引起的脑损伤、与酗酒有关的成瘾行为和新生儿脑积水引起的神经发育障碍。三个研究癌症、遗传性肾病和宿主-病原体相互作用的小用户组成了这个小组。总共有1030万美元的NIH资助的研究赠款将受益于新的定量能力。公共卫生相关性：美国国家卫生研究院资助的研究人员在新墨西哥州大学要求资金的一个新的显微镜系统，将允许自动和定量分析的组织样本。该系统将使研究人员能够加快与中风，药物滥用和出生缺陷有关的脑损伤的发现。其他用途将有利于耐药细菌感染、遗传性肾病和癌症的研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Design-based stereology has become the required method for insuring that cell number and volume estimates in brain (and other) tissue sections are unbiased. Expressed user need underlies this proposal to purchase an integrated confocal stereology system from MBF Bioscience that will provide accurate, unbiased counting and morphological identification of cells in complex tissue samples. In addition, the instrument will allow automatic acquisition of image stacks from multiple fields and tissue sections, freeing the researcher from tedious time on the microscope. The acquired images will be analyzed offline, freeing the instrument for use by greater numbers of users needing access to stereology. The instrument will be housed in an institutionally supported core facility, ensuring outstanding technical support. Five members of the Brain and Behavioral Illness Signature group at the University of New Mexico with research interests in brain injury resulting from ischemia, addictive behavior related to alcohol abuse, and neurodevelopmental disorders resulting from neonatal hydrocephalus, represent the major users. Three minor users studying cancer, genetic kidney disease and host-pathogen interactions round out the group. In total, $10.3 million in NIH funded research grants will benefit from the new quantitative capabilities. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: NIH funded investigators at the University of New Mexico request monies for a new microscope system that will allow automated and quantitative analysis of tissue samples. The system will enable researchers to speed discoveries related to brain injury from stroke, substance abuse and birth defects. Other uses will benefit studies on drug resistant bacterial infections, genetic kidney disease and cancer.