A Confocal Microscope for Developmental and Cell Biological Studies

一个共聚焦显微镜系统将被安置在罗格斯大学的瓦克斯曼研究所，作为十个不同实验室的共享资源。在许多研究中需要共聚焦显微镜以高分辨率和灵敏度光学切片厚标本，并同时检测来自多个目标的信号，每个目标用不同的荧光染料标记。 整个系统包括一个配备荧光和DIC光学的复合显微镜，一个激光扫描和共聚焦检测系统，一台计算机和软件来操作仪器和分析收集的数据，以及一个无振动的工作台和工作台。该系统将取代旧的共焦显微镜，这已经过时，不再支持其原始制造商。新的共焦显微镜系统的技术改进是多方面的，它将使许多以前不能进行的实验得以进行，该仪器将用于动物（果蝇，C. elegans）、真菌（S.酿酒酵母）和植物（拟南芥、烟草）组织。 这些研究解决了发育和细胞生物学中广泛的科学问题。 这些包括信号转导途径的研究，组织生长的调节，基因表达的调节，减数分裂重组，调节不同蛋白质的亚细胞定位的机制，以及突触形成。这些研究主要涉及使用荧光标记抗体或其他染料定位蛋白质。 此外，还使用固有荧光蛋白，例如绿色荧光蛋白。对于这些实验来说，可以通过厚切片光学捕获切片的共聚焦显微镜是绝对必要的。 此外，许多实验将专门利用新的共焦显微镜的许多先进功能，特别是更高的分辨率和灵敏度，这将允许观察到更小和更微弱的信号。 其他重要的改进多个激光器和探测器，提供了同时观察多个信号的可能性。用户正在解决细胞和发育生物学中一系列至关重要的科学问题，该仪器将使他们能够在各自的领域做出重大贡献。 这些研究将为植物和动物中发生的基本细胞过程提供许多新的见解。 此外，该仪器将提供给研究所以外的合格用户，并将在保持罗格斯大学在细胞和发育生物学研究的前沿发挥重要作用。

A confocal microscope system will be housed in the Waksman Institute at Rutgers University as a shared resource for ten different laboratories. A confocal microscope is needed in many studies to optically section through thick specimens with high resolution and sensitivity, and to simultaneously detect the signals from multiple targets, each labeled with a different fluorescent dye. The entire system includes a compound microscope equipped for fluorescence and DIC optics, a laser scanning and confocal detection system, a computer and software to operate the instrument and analyze the data collected, and a vibration-free table and workbench for the instrument. This system will replace an older confocal microscope, which has become obsolete and is no longer supported by its original manufacturer. The technological improvements of the new confocal microscope system are numerous and will allow many kinds of experiments that could not be performed previously to be done.This instrument will be used for fluorescence microscopy of animal (Drosophila, C. elegans), fungal (S. cerevisiae) and plant (Arabidopsis, Tobacco) tissues. These studies address a wide range of scientific questions in developmental and cell biology. These include investigations of signal transduction pathways, regulation of tissue growth, regulation of gene expression, meiotic recombination, mechanisms that regulate the subcellular localization of different proteins, and synapse formation. These studies primarily involve the localization of proteins using fluorescently-tagged antibodies or other dyes. In addition, intrinsically fluorescent proteins, such as the Green Fluorescent Protein, are also employed. A confocal microscope that can optically capture sections through thick sections is absolutely essential for these experiments. In addition, numerous experiments will specifically take advantage of the many advanced capabilities of the new confocal microscopes, especially the higher resolution and sensitivity that will allow smaller and fainter signals to be observed. Other important improvements multiple lasers and detectors that provide the possibility to simultaneously observe multiple signals.The users are addressing a range of scientific questions of critical importance in cell and developmental biology, and this instrument will enable them to make major contributions to their respective fields. These studies will provide many new insights into basic cellular processes that occur in plants and animals. In addition, the instrument will be made available to qualified users from outside of the Institute, and will play an important role in keeping Rutgers at the leading edge of studies in cell and developmental biology.