Microscopy and Imaging Center

这项生物设施中心提案要求资金建立一个显微镜和成像中心，以满足生命科学研究人员的研究需求。目前的电子显微镜实验室将并入该中心，并将通过增加一个高分辨率电子显微镜和一个研究质量的光学显微镜进行扩展。两家公司都将把电视摄像机直接连接到图像处理计算机上。该仪器的设计将促进一些新的和重要的技术，包括检查冷冻水化样品、极低对比度样品、剂量敏感样品、“厚”切片和低强度荧光样品。在线计算机将提供用于光学和电子显微镜应用的图像处理软件。其他计算机操作将包括2D凝胶分析和3D分子建模。这些仪器将使6名一级用户和18名二级用户受益，他们分别代表植物学、生物化学、微生物学、兽医和动物科学系和动物学系，以及邻近的两所私立学院--阿默斯特学院和曼霍利奥克学院。跨学科的协作已经在进行中。显微镜中心的一个主要目标是作为交流思想和信息的中心，促进进一步的合作努力。该中心将通过讲习班和书面手册收集和传播有关方法的信息。中心工作人员将随时了解计算机图像处理的最新发展，并向用户提供这些信息。将为初学者提供培训课程、专门领域的讲习班以及由用户和访问者举办的信息研讨会。

This Biological Facilities Center proposal requests funds to establish a Microscopy and Imaging Center to meet the research needs of investigators in the Life Sciences. The present Electron Microscopy Laboratory will be incorporated into the Center, and it will be expanded by adding a high.resolution electron microscope and a research quality light microscope. Both will have TV cameras connected directly to an image processing computer. The instrumentation will be designed to facilitate a number of new and important techniques including the examination of frozen.hydrated specimens, very low contrast specimens, dose.sensitive specimens, "thick" sections, and low intensity fluorescent specimens. The on.line computer will offer image processing software for both light and electron microscopical applications. Other computer operations will include 2D gel analysis and 3D molecular modeling. The instruments will benefit six primary users and eighteen secondary users, representing the Departments of Botany, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and Zoology, as well as two of the neighboring private colleges, Amherst and Mount Holyoke. Collaboration across disciplines are already in progress. A major goal of the Microscopy Center will be to foster further collaborative efforts by acting as a focus for the exchange of ideas and information. The Center will collect and disseminate information on methods through workshops and written manuals. The Center staff will keep abreast of developments in computer image processing and make them available to users. Training courses for beginners, workshops in specialized fields, and informational seminars by users and visitors will be provided.