Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope LSM 710 #5

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目的是在显微镜服务实验室（MSL）购买蔡司LSM 710共聚焦激光扫描显微镜（CLSM），该实验室是病理学和实验室医学系的核心设施，为癌症研究中心和医学院研究社区提供服务。自从五年前我们用两种更现代化的仪器取代了过时的CLSM以来，我们已经看到CLSM在许多研究领域的使用有了巨大的增长。我们现有的仪器被来自42个部门和中心的252名主要研究者的400多名科学家使用了90%的全部容量。现在，共聚焦激光扫描显微镜已成为研究的重要组成部分，在这么多的实验室，现有的仪器的局限性已成为生动明显的一些当前的CLSM用户。拟议中的CLSM将大大扩展使用该核心设施的研究人员的研究能力。研究人员现在需要在相同的标本中解析多个荧光标记;许多研究需要在含水样品中进行亚细胞成像，许多样品是具有高内在背景荧光的组织;单个数据收集运行可能需要数百个图像，并且在许多情况下必须重建三维结构。新仪器具有大量的激光激发波长选择，结合多通道光谱光电倍增管检测系统，可同时分离多种荧光染料。标准的光电倍增管也存在于传统的共焦成像中。新系统还通过一些创新的光收集系统保证了更高的光收集能力。这些特点联合收割机生产的仪器，将服务于研究人员在今后的发展。MSL的工作人员都是显微镜成像技术方面的专家，并擅长作为服务设施。他们将接受一个内部咨询委员会的指导。MSL得到医学院的大力支持，占地2，000平方米。英尺位于医疗大楼中心的一个空间。该设施中新的扩展容量CLSM将使许多研究人员能够获得新的和至关重要的技术，从而使医学研究界受益。该仪器是新一代多光谱CLSM，取代了MSL和校园内其他现有光谱CLSM的技术。公共卫生相关性：这是为显微镜服务实验室购买蔡司LSM 710共聚焦激光扫描显微镜的申请，该实验室是由病理学和实验室医学系、癌症研究中心和医学院支持的核心设施。之所以需要这种新仪器，是因为我们的科学家面临的科学问题需要这种机器的额外能力，以同时检测大量标记有不同荧光标记的分子，并抑制必须检查的组织和结构的自发荧光。新仪器将位于显微镜服务实验室，这是一个长期运行的核心设施，由显微镜成像技术专家组成，作为一个多用户服务设施，其功能非常有效，并得到了部门，中心和学校的大力支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this proposal is to purchase a Zeiss LSM 710 confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) in the Microscopy Services Laboratory (MSL), a core facility in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine that serves the Cancer Research Center and the Medical School research community. Since we replaced an out of date CLSM five years ago with two more modern instruments we have seen tremendous growth in the use of CLSMs in numerous areas of research. Our existing instruments were used 90% of full capacity by over 400 scientists working under 252 of principal investigators from 42 departments and centers. Now that confocal laser scanning microscopy has become a vital component of research in so many laboratories the limitations of the available instruments has become vividly evident to a number of the current CLSM users. The proposed CLSM will greatly expand research capabilities of investigators who use this core facility. Researchers now need to resolve multiple fluorescent labels in the same specimens; many studies require subcellular imaging deep within an aqueous mounted sample, many samples are tissues with high intrinsic background fluorescence; several hundred images may be required for a single data collection run, and in many cases three dimensional structures must be reconstructed. The new instrument has a large selection of laser excitation wavelengths combined with a multi-channel spectral photomultiplier detection system for separation of many fluorescent dyes used simultaneously. Standard photomultipliers are also present for conventional confocal imaging. The new system also promises higher light gathering power through some innovative light scavenging systems. These features combine to produce an instrument that will serve researchers at UNC well into the future. Members of the MSL staff are experts in microscope imaging technology and are skilled in functioning as a service facility. They will be guided by an internal advisory committee. The MSL is well supported by the School of Medicine and occupies 2,000 sq. ft. of space centrally located in the medical complex. The new expanded-capacity CLSM in this facility will benefit the medical research community at UNC by making new and vitally-required technology accessible to many investigators. This instrument is a new generation of multi-spectral CLSMs that supplants the technology of the MSL and the other existing spectral CLSMs on campus. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This is an application to purchase a Zeiss LSM 710 confocal laser scanning microscope for the Microscopy Services Laboratory, a core facility supported by the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Cancer Research Center and the Medical School. This new instrument is required because the scientific problems that confront our scientists require this machine's additional capacity to detect simultaneously larger numbers of molecules labeled with different fluorescent tags and its ability to suppress the auto-fluorescence of tissues and structures that must be examined. The new instrument will be located in the Microscopy Services Laboratory, which is a long-running core facility staffed by experts in microscope imaging technology, that functions very efficiently as a multi-user service facility and is very well supported by the department, center and school.