Confocal laser scanning microscope for high-resolution, 3-dimensional imaging in neuroscience

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This grant will upgrade an existing epifluorescence microscope to a confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM) by purchase of key additional components. The team of 7 applicants led by Salvatore Carbonetto includes researchers at the McGill Centre for Research in Neuroscience. A major focus of our research is to understand how nervous systems function at a cellular and molecular level, and how neural circuits are assembled and remodeled. High-resolution, 3-dimensional microscopy is essential for these studies, but our existing equipment is insufficient because 1) it is too heavily used, 2) it is highly specialized for particular applications, and 3) it lacks specific technical capabilities that we urgently want to exploit in our research programs. We favor the FV1000 components from Olympus because they can be perfectly integrated with an existing Olympus BX61 microscope that was purchased recently. The integrated FV1000-BX61 confocal LSM system will complement our existing infrastructure and provide additional technical capabilities that will permit experiments that are presently unfeasible. This RTI grant provides a unique opportunity for the applicants to acquire this state-of-the-art confocal LSM system, which will help our trainees to 1) complete and publish their research, 2) explore frontiers in experimental neuroscience, and 3) prepare for careers in academic science, the biotech industry, or other sectors.