Laser scanning confocal microscope replacement for Concordia University

我们正在申请资金用于一种新的激光扫描共聚焦（LSC）显微镜，该显微镜将用于对培养细胞，组织和整个生物体中的分子事件进行成像。该设备将主要用于支持我们的NSERC资助的细胞生物学研究计划，研究驱动生物膜分配的基本机制;融合和裂变;内吞作用，受体再循环和第二信使信号传导背景下的蛋白质分选;突触可塑性;细胞骨架重组;细胞分裂;和叶绿体生物发生。由于显微镜将提供给整个Concordia研究社区，它还将检查纳米颗粒和纳米载体内化人类癌细胞，以支持大学不断发展的纳米技术计划，并对脑组织进行成像，以支持新兴的神经光遗传学计划。重要的是，这个新系统将取代校园里唯一的LSC显微镜，这是Concordia研究人员13年来每天使用的基础设施的关键部分。虽然在2008年对其进行了升级以延长其使用寿命，但这种过时的系统需要频繁维修，并且能力有限，例如硬件和软件无法再升级（并且维修困难且昂贵），相对较低的激光功率与缓慢的探测器相结合限制了可以成像的样品类型，并且使用起来非常耗时。因此，这一旧制度开始阻碍我们在研究领域的国际竞争力。由于这种新的显微镜系统支持广泛的计划，它将鼓励我们不同的科学界成员之间的合作，多学科研究-桥接生理学，神经科学，免疫学，肿瘤学，植物科学，生物物理学和纳米技术。此外，这一最先进的设备将确保近90名年轻科学家和工作人员获得现代显微技术方面的高质量培训，使他们能够为加拿大在生物技术、纳米技术和医学方面具有竞争力的学术和工业部门作出重大贡献。

We are requesting funds for a new Laser Scanning Confocal (LSC) microscope, which will be used to image molecular events within cultured cells, tissues and whole organisms. This equipment will be primarily used to support our NSERC-funded research programs in cell biology that study the fundamental mechanisms that drive biological membrane partitioning; fusion and fission; protein sorting in context to endocytosis, receptor recycling and second messenger signaling; synaptic plasticity; cytoskeletal reorganization; cell division; and chloroplast biogenesis. Because the microscope will be available to the entire Concordia research community, it will also examine nanoparticles and nanocarrier internalization by human cancer cells, in support of the University's growing nanotechnology program, and to image brain tissue in support of an emerging neuro-optogenetics program. Importantly, this new system will replace the only LSC microscope on campus, a keystone piece of infrastructure used daily by Concordia researchers for 13 years. Although it was upgraded in 2008 to extend its life span, this outdated system requires frequent repairs and has limited capabilities, e.g. the hardware and software can no longer be upgraded (and are difficult and expensive to repair), the relatively low laser power combined with slow detectors limits the types of samples that can be imaged, and it is very time consuming to use. Thus, this old system is beginning to hinder our ability to compete at an international level in our fields of research. Because this new microscope system supports a wide-range of programs, it will encourage collaborative, multidisciplinary research between members of our diverse scientific community - bridging physiology, neuroscience, immunology, oncology, plant sciences, biophysics and nanotechnology. Furthermore, this state-of-the-art equipment will ensure that the nearly 90 young scientists and personnel will get high-quality training in modern microscopy techniques, allowing them to make major contributions to Canada's competitive academic and industrial sectors in biotechnology, nanotechnology and medicine.