Development of an Advanced Light Microscopy Facility

匹兹堡大学的高级光学显微镜设备目前用于细胞、分子和发育生物学的基础生物医学研究。对于大学里的许多用户来说，它是一个不可或缺的工具。将使用升级后的设施的研究项目包括几个研究结肠癌、囊性纤维化等疾病的基本原因，以及脊髓共济失调、阿尔茨海默氏症和亨廷顿舞蹈症等神经退行性疾病的项目。该设备目前由两个单元组成，一个是共焦显微镜，一个是图像分析系统。共焦显微镜使用激光作为光源来观察生物标本。这使得研究人员能够看到组织样本细胞中的单个蛋白质。它开辟了一条用显微镜研究生物学的新途径。它的力量的一个例子是在1999年，它被用来发现成人大脑中干细胞的存在。这一发现颠覆了数十年的教条，并有望找到治疗疾病或损伤引起的神经系统疾病的新方法。在这笔赠款的帮助下，正在购买一台新的共焦显微镜和升级的成像系统。来自BioRad的新的共焦显微镜将取代不再是最先进的旧显微镜。此外，升级后的图像分析系统将提供快速分析大量共焦图像数据的能力。它将具有快速数据采集和存储、通道处理、计数和大小调整、测量和3D重建。除了用于世界级的生物医学研究外，升级后的设施还将在培训和教育方面发挥重要作用。这种新型显微镜将用于培训匹兹堡大学的博士研究生，并为他们成为未来的科学家做好准备。该设施还用于教授匹兹堡大学的本科生细胞生物学和发育生物学实验室课程。它还用于部门外展计划，以教育宾夕法尼亚州西部地区的高中教师。因此，它允许学生和教师体验光学显微镜在现代生命科学中发现的能力。新系统将通过互联网连接，将生物标本的图像传输到全国各地的教室和实验室。

The Advanced Light Microscopy Facility at the University of Pittsburgh is currently used for basic biomedical research in cell, molecular, and developmental biology. It is an indispensable tool for many users at the university. The research programs that will use the upgraded facility include several that address the basic causes of diseases such as colon cancer, cystic fibrosis, and neurodegenerative diseases such as spinal ataxia, Alzheimers, and Huntington's chorea. This facility is presently composed of two units, a confocal microscope and an image analysis system. Confocal microscopes use lasers as a light source to visualize biological specimens. This allows researchers to see individual proteins within cells of a tissue sample. It has opened up a new way of studying biology with microscopy. One example of its power is that in 1999, it was used to discover the existence of stem cells in the adult brain. This discovery overturned decades of dogma and promises new methods to treat afflictions of the nervous system caused by disease or injury. A new confocal microscope and upgraded imaging system are being purchased with the aid of this grant. The new confocal microscope from BioRad will replace the old microscope that is no longer state of the art. Moreover, the upgraded image analysis system will provide the ability to rapidly analyze large quantities of confocal image data. It will feature rapid data acquisition and storage, channel processing, counting and sizing, measurement, and 3D reconstruction. Besides its use for world-class biomedical research, the upgraded facility will play a vital role in training and education. The new microscope will be used to train Ph.D. graduate students at University of Pittsburgh and prepare them for their roles as the scientists of tomorrow. The facility is also used to teach University of Pittsburgh undergraduate students in cell biology and developmental biology laboratory courses. It is also used in departmental outreach programs to educate high school teachers in the Western Pennsylvania area. As such, it allows students and teachers to experience the capabilities of light microscopy for discovery in the modern life sciences. The new system will be connected via the internet for image transmission of biological specimens to both classrooms and laboratories around the country.