ShEEP Request for Nikon Eclipse Ni Confocal Scanning Microscope

我们正在申请资金购买尼康日食镍共聚焦激光扫描显微镜。共焦 显微镜已经成为生物医学研究的支柱，使研究人员能够对活细胞和 组织，跟踪细胞之间或细胞内的动态事件，并制作细胞/组织的3D图像。目前， 俄克拉荷马城退伍军人医疗保健系统(OKCVA HCS)的研究设施没有荧光或 共焦显微镜。退伍军人管理局调查人员需要为他们的退伍军人管理局资金进行荧光/共聚焦成像 研究人员必须在俄克拉荷马大学健康中心的成像核心使用共聚焦显微镜 科学中心(OUHSC)或俄克拉荷马医学研究基金会(OMRF)。理性的追求 购买尼康日食Ni共聚焦激光扫描显微镜是：(1)几乎所有的资金都是VA 调查人员以及退伍军人管理局调查人员的未决或修改的申请将在#年提交 马奇将需要在他们未来的研究中使用荧光/共聚焦显微镜，即非常需要 OKCVA HCS的这台仪器；(2)从OKCVA中心采集样本既不方便，又耗时 OKCVA HCS到OUHSC或OMRF的成像核心进行分析；以及(3)成像活细胞 要求退伍军人管理局调查人员找到他们可以在存放 OUHSC或OMRF的荧光/共聚焦显微镜。 尼康日食镍共聚焦显微镜允许多种组织的多荧光成像 高分辨率和高对比度。该显微镜采用新型光学物镜，镀膜纳米晶体涂层，用于 更明亮和高对比度的显微图像。它的设计实现了同时多通道成像，使用 激光照射荧光蛋白。该系统使用了一种新的LU-N4激光装置，配备了四个 激光(405 nm、488 nm、561 nm、640 nm)以节省空间的模式。这种新开发的激光组合器 即使在长期使用后也可防止对准偏移，并允许控制和调制激光功率 以用户友好的方式并且大大减少了不断调整显微镜上的激光器的需要， 这是一个主要的并发症，需要在旧的共焦系统中进行大量的维护 显微镜。 OKCVA HCS对退伍军人管理局研究人员的调查显示，超过80%的研究人员使用过 OUHSC或OMRF为VA资助的成像核心上的荧光共聚焦显微镜 过去三四年的研究。此外，退伍军人事务部的研究人员一致列出了一种荧光共聚焦 在OKCVA HCS所需的主要设备清单上，显微镜排在首位。这个 尼康日食Ni共焦显微镜将由七个主要用户使用，他们拥有VA Merit奖励和三个 具有待批退伍军人奖励的次要用户。

We are requesting funds to purchase a Nikon Eclipse Ni Confocal Laser-Scanning Microscope. Confocal microscopy has become a mainstay for biomedical research allowing researchers to image live cells and tissues, follow dynamic events between or within cells, and to make 3D images of cells/tissues. Currently, the research facility at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System (OKCVA HCS) has no fluorescent or confocal microscopes. VA investigators that require fluorescent/confocal imaging for their VA-funded research have to use confocal microscopes at the Imaging Cores at either the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) or the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). The rational for purchasing Nikon Eclipse Ni Confocal Laser-Scanning Microscope is: (1) Almost all the funded VA investigators as well as the VA investigators with pending or revised applications that will be submitted in March will need to use a fluorescent/confocal microscope in their future research, i.e., there is a great need for this instrument at the OKCVA HCS; (2) It is inconvenient and time-consuming to take samples from the OKCVA HCS to the Imaging Cores at either OUHSC or OMRF to be analyzed; and (3) Imaging live cells requires that VA investigators find tissue facilities that they can use in the building that houses the fluorescent/confocal microscopes at OUHSC or OMRF. The Nikon Eclipse Ni confocal microscope allows multi-fluorescence imaging of a variety of tissues with high resolution and contrast. The microscope uses novel optical objectives coated with Nano crystal coat for brighter and high contrast microscopic images. Its design enables simultaneous multi-channel imaging using laser illumination of the fluorescent proteins. The system uses a new LU-N4 laser unit equipped with four lasers (405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm) in a space-saving mode. This newly developed laser combiner prevents alignment shift even after long-term use and allows the laser power to be controlled and modulated in a “user-friendly” manner and dramatically reduces the need to constantly adjust the lasers on the microscope, which was a major complication that required a significant amount of maintenance in older confocal microscopes. A survey of the VA researchers at OKCVA HCS showed over 80% of the researchers have used the fluorescent confocal microscopes at the Imaging Cores at either OUHSC or OMRF for their VA funded research over the past 3 or 4 years. In addition, the VA researchers unanimously listed a fluorescent confocal microscope at the top of their list of the major piece of equipment that was needed at the OKCVA HCS. The Nikon Eclipse Ni confocal microscope will be used by seven major users who have VA Merit grants and three minor users who have VA Merit grants pending.