Multiphoton Confocal

摘要 多光子显微镜核心设施的目标是在COBRE计划的前两个阶段启动的项目上取得进展，并将该设施的使用扩展到需要多光子显微镜用于新应用的研究人员，但这些技术的经验有限。COBRE研究人员与神经科学卓越中心（NCE）的其他教师合作，利用我们的多光子成像能力发现海马体中树突的毛细胞突触和内在和突触特性的可塑性。开创性的多光子成像设备及其应用吸引了包括杜兰大学医学院在内的中心和大学以外的科学家的合作。这些不同的项目说明了可以考虑组织协作和核心基础设施的应用程序。在将多光子成像的可用性扩展到大新奥尔良地区的更多研究人员的同时，最终核心将吸引足够的新资金，除了医学院的机构承诺外，这将使核心在第三阶段资金结束时自给自足。该核心的三个具体目标是：1）提供基础设施，以维持现有的赠款项目，这些项目将核心列为NIH申请中的基本设备; 2）利用多光子设施实施新的研究项目;使研究人员之间能够合作;在神经科学中创建新的成像应用;并帮助研究人员获得个人赠款申请的初步数据; 3）通过继续开发新的能力，包括光遗传学和体内成像，开发新的研究战略。

Abstract The goals for the Multiphoton Microscopy Core Facility are to make advancements on projects that were initiated during the first two phases of the COBRE program and to expand the use of the facility to investigators that require multiphoton microscopy for novel applications, but have limited experience with these techniques. COBRE investigators, in collaboration with other faculty at the Neuroscience Center of Excellence (NCE) have used our multiphoton imaging capabilities to make discoveries in hair cell synapses and plasticity of intrinsic and synaptic properties of dendrites in the hippocampus. The pioneering multiphoton imaging equipment and its applications attracted collaborations that included scientists from outside the Center and University, including Tulane University Medical School. These diverse projects illustrate the applications that can be considered with organized collaboration and core infrastructure. While extending the availability of multiphoton imaging to more researchers in the greater New Orleans area, ultimately the core will attract sufficient new funding, which, in addition to the institutional commitment of the School of Medicine, will make the core self-sufficient by the end of Phase III funding. The three specific aims of this core are: 1) To provide the infrastructure to sustain existing grant projects that listed the core as essential equipment in their NIH applications; 2) To utilize the multiphoton facility to implement new research projects; enable collaborations between investigators; create new imaging applications in neuroscience; and help investigators obtain preliminary data for individual grant applications; 3) To develop new research strategies by continuing to develop novel capabilities including optogenetics and in vivo imaging.