Double-headed, differential interference contrast microscope, with dedicated camera assembly for parasitological research and training of HQP.

双头微分干涉显微镜，配有专用相机组件，用于寄生虫学研究和 HQP 培训。

• 批准号: 439632-2013
• 负责人: Kutz, Susan
• 金额: $ 4.58万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=506796
• 关键词: Double; headed; differential; interference; contrast

Parasites are ubiquitous, present in and/or on all vertebrate species, and are important components of global biodiversity. Macro-parasites, including arthropods, roundworms, and flatworms, can have significant impacts on their hosts, ranging from death, weight loss, behavioral changes, and increased susceptibility to predation etc.. The global diversity of parasites is immense yet much of it remains undescribed. In wildlife in particular, new parasite genera, species, and strains are routinely discovered. Climate change is resulting in range expansions and emergence of parasites in new hosts and locations, and emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining highly trained personnel in the area of parasite systematics; people who are capable of identifying new genera, species, strains, and interpreting these findings within a broader biodiversity and evolutionary context. Isolation and visualization of a parasite microscopically is the 'front-line' for parasite identification and well-trained individuals may recognize unusual characteristics indicating further morphological and molecular characterization is required. These skills are being lost as increasing effort is directed towards molecular diagnostics. The fields of classical and molecular parasitology are complementary: morphological expertise allows recognition of new parasites or unusual features and identification and description of developmental stages,while molecular tools allow us to delve deeper into questions such as population biology. The equipment applied for here, a differential interference contrast microscope with a teaching head, drawing tube, and dedicated camera system, will support several training and research programs on the biodiversity of parasites in domestic and wild animals from the tropics to the Arctic and in urban, managed and natural environments. It will contribute to the NSERC CREATE Host-Parasite Interactions training program at the University of Calgary and facilitate the training and research of numerous graduate students, technicians, and undergraduates, the next generation of scientists, in parasite detection, identification, systematics and taxonomy.

寄生虫普遍存在于所有脊椎动物物种中和/或存在于所有脊椎动物物种中，是全球生物多样性的重要组成部分。大型寄生虫，包括节肢动物、蛔虫和扁虫，可以对宿主产生重大影响，包括死亡、体重减轻、行为变化和更容易被捕食等。全球寄生虫的多样性是巨大的，但其中大部分仍未得到描述。特别是在野生动物中，经常会发现新的寄生虫属、种和品系。气候变化正在导致范围扩大和在新的宿主和地点出现寄生虫，并强调在寄生虫系统学领域保持训练有素的人员的极端重要性；这些人能够识别新的属、种、菌株，并在更广泛的生物多样性和进化背景下解释这些发现。寄生虫的显微分离和可视化是寄生虫鉴定的“第一线”，训练有素的个体可能会识别出不寻常的特征，这表明需要进一步的形态和分子特征。随着越来越多的努力指向分子诊断，这些技能正在丧失。经典寄生虫学和分子寄生虫学领域是相辅相成的：形态专业知识使我们能够识别新的寄生虫或不寻常的特征，并识别和描述发育阶段，而分子工具使我们能够更深入地研究种群生物学等问题。这里应用的设备是一个带有示教头、绘图管和专用摄像系统的差示干涉对比显微镜，将支持几个关于从热带到北极的家畜和野生动物以及城市、管理和自然环境中寄生虫生物多样性的培训和研究项目。它将为卡尔加里大学的NSERC Create宿主-寄生虫相互作用培训计划做出贡献，并促进无数研究生、技术人员和本科生，即下一代科学家，在寄生虫检测、鉴定、分类学和分类学方面的培训和研究。