MRI-RUI: Acquisition of the C1 Confocal Microscopy System for Cellular Analysis in the Biological Sciences

摘要：Lafayette College的Robert A. Kurt博士获得了购买共聚焦显微镜系统的资助。共聚焦系统能够进行三色荧光成像和三维细胞分析。因此，可以分析三种不同的蛋白质，以及它们在细胞中的位置。这对于研究蛋白质-蛋白质或细胞-细胞相互作用以及辨别最近鉴定的蛋白质的潜在功能是理想的。有了这台仪器，许多令人兴奋的项目可以进行。共聚焦显微镜系统将使拉斐特大学的教师能够修改和加强课程，包括复杂研究技术的培训，扩大学生和教师的研究领域，并最终通过探索活细胞内发生的分子和细胞相互作用，为生物科学领域的知识进步做出贡献。使用该仪器进行的研究项目将侧重于各种生物科学，包括细胞、分子、发育生物学和免疫学。该提案中支持的一些项目包括检查T细胞迁移过程中G蛋白偶联受体和相关分子的分子组织。在这个项目中，T细胞用于迁移的蛋白质将被标记，以便当T细胞对趋化因子作出反应时，可以研究蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用。趋化因子受体信号级联在T细胞中的定义不明确，因此该项目应该揭示一些用于T细胞迁移的基本步骤。另一个将在显微镜下进行的项目将是检查T细胞和趋化因子受体信号通路之间的交叉调节。该项目将研究TCR和趋化因子受体信号通路所利用的蛋白质之间的相互作用，以了解这些不同的途径如何相互影响。黑腹果蝇的神经发育和交流是另一个研究和训练领域，将通过共聚焦显微镜系统得到加强。特别是，该仪器将有助于对爆炸敏感的突变体的研究。其中一个项目将研究这些突变对线粒体及其功能的影响。另一组实验是检测对爆炸敏感的线粒体的三龄幼虫维持其电化学梯度的能力。该提案的更广泛影响是，这些项目将由本科生进行，从而促进学生从事科学事业的研究、研究培训和教育。拉斐特学院生物系的一些研究培训活动包括独立研究、荣誉论文、Excel学者计划和以研究为导向的课程，如电子显微镜和组织培养课程。因此，共聚焦显微镜系统将被用来进一步加强拉斐特学院生物科学的课程和研究。生物系有鼓励学生参与研究的悠久历史。到毕业时，许多专业的学生至少有两个学期的丰富的研究经验。通常，这种深入研究激发了追求研究生学习的愿望。此外，几门课程将修改为包括标本制备和共聚焦荧光显微镜分析的培训。因此，预计每年将有三名教员和大约50名学生使用该仪器。

Abstract:A grant has been awarded to Dr. Robert A. Kurt at Lafayette College to purchase a Confocal Microscopy System. The confocal system is capable of three-color fluorescent imaging and three-dimensional cellular analysis. Consequently, three different proteins can be analyzed with respect to each other and their location within a cell. This is ideal for studying protein-protein or cell-cell interactions and to discern the potential function of recently identified proteins. With the acquisition of this instrument many exciting projects can be carried out. The Confocal Microscopy System will enable Lafayette faculty to modify and enhance courses to include training in sophisticated research techniques, expand the areas of research for both students and faculty, and finally contribute to the advancement of knowledge within the field of biological science by exploring molecular and cellular interactions as they occur within living cells. The research projects to be performed with this instrument will focus on a variety of biological sciences including cellular, molecular, developmental biology and immunology. Some of the projects supported in this proposal include an examination of the molecular organization of G protein coupled receptors and associated molecules during T cell migration. For this project proteins utilized by T cells for migration will be labeled so that protein-protein interactions can be investigated as the T cells respond to chemokines. The chemokine receptor signaling cascade in T cells is poorly defined, thus this project should uncover some of the basic steps utilized for T-cell migration. Another project that will be carried out with the microscope will be an examination of the cross-regulation between T cell and chemokine receptor signaling pathways. This project will examine the interactions between proteins utilized by both the TCR and chemokine receptor signaling pathways in order to understand how these different pathways influence each other. Neural development and communication in Drosophila melanogaster is another area of research and training that will be enhanced with the confocal microscopy system. In particular the instrument will aid in the studies of bang-sensitive mutants. One project will investigate the effects of these mutants on mitochondria and their function. Another set of experiments is to examine the ability of third instar larvae of bang-sensitive mitochondria to maintain their electrochemical gradient. The broader impact of the proposal is that these projects will be carried out by undergraduate students and as a result facilitate the research, research training and education of students for careers in science. Some of the research training activities in the Department of Biology at Lafayette College include Independent Study, Honors Thesis, the Excel Scholar Program, and research-oriented courses such as Electron Microscopy and Tissue Culture courses. Thus, the Confocal Microscopy System will be utilized to further strengthen the curriculum and research in Biological Sciences at Lafayette College. The Biology Department has a long history of encouraging student participation in research. By graduation many majors have had at least two semesters of extensive research experience. Often, this in depth exposure to research fuels a desire to pursue post-graduate study. Additionally, several courses will be modified to include training in specimen preparation and analysis with confocal fluorescence microscopy. Consequently, it is anticipated that there will be three faculty members and approximately fifty students each year that will use the instrument.