Quantitative Fluorescence Light Microscopy in the Undergraduate Curriculum

通过这个项目，生物系将定量光学显微镜引入本科课程。该系已经制定了一项全面的计划，通过使用光学显微镜工作站使学生接触到现代显微镜技术。该工作站使大量学生接触到现代荧光成像技术，学习细胞和组织的组织和分化原理。主要设备是奥林巴斯IMT-2倒置荧光显微镜和通用图像图像分析系统。奥林巴斯IMT-2倒置荧光显微镜提供了一个高度通用的工作平台。图像分析系统由三个主要部分组成：(1)超形态成像系统软件和基于奔腾的工作站，(2)普林斯顿仪器公司的制冷相机和软件，(3)德事隆数字打印机。该系统软件在Microsoft Windows 3.1或更高版本下运行，使该系统成为最容易使用的系统之一，即使对本科生来说也是如此。Metamorph的内置处理和分析工具允许人们获取图像，然后增强其对比度、锐化、去卷曲、重建以及测量和量化。这个项目的实施包括在五门不同的课程中引入一些新的实验室：细胞生物学、组织学、发育生物学、内分泌学和生物学导论。

Through this project, the Biology Department is introducing quantitative light microscopy into the undergraduate curriculum. The department has developed a comprehensive plan to expose students to modern microscopy techniques with the use of a light microscopy workstation. This workstation exposes large numbers of students to modern fluorescence imaging techniques to study principles of cell and tissue organization and differentiation. The major equipment items are an Olympus IMT-2 inverted fluorescence microscope and Universal Imaging image analysis system. The Olympus IMT-2 inverted fluorescence microscope provides a highly versatile work platform. There are three major component parts to the image analysis system: (1) Metamorph Imaging System software and Pentium-based Workstation, (2) Princeton Instruments cooled camera with software, and (3) Textronix digital printer. The system software runs under Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher, making the system one of the easiest to use, even for undergraduate students. Metamorph's built-in processing and analysis tools allow one to acquire an image, then enhance its contrast, sharpen, deconvolute, reconstruct, and measure and quantify. Implementation of this project involves introducing a number of new laboratories in five different courses: Cell Biology, Histology, Developmental Biology, Endocrinology, and Introductory Biology.