Acquisition of Multicolor Spinning-Disk Confocal Microscope for New Applications In 4D Cellular Imaging and Analysis

在伊拉·梅尔曼博士和德里克·图姆雷博士的指导下，耶鲁大学获得了一笔赠款，用于购买一台最先进的旋转圆盘共聚焦显微镜，用于活细胞的成像和分析。 现代生物学面临的一个中心问题是了解细胞活动如何在空间和时间中整合;这一挑战适用于细胞生物学的每个分支，从细胞组织和生物发生的基本方面到免疫学，神经生物学，发育生物学和微生物学。越来越多的高分辨率活细胞成像正在成为帮助人们了解分子，囊泡，细胞器和整个细胞如何响应内部和外部线索（重新）组织的关键工具。需要能够快速分析完整细胞的新技术，以提供这些过程的完整图像，并研究占据或动态穿越几个光学平面的对象作为时间的函数。 因此，这种成像被称为“四维”，在三个物理维度加上时间上捕获单个细胞的行为。该仪器将是耶鲁大学的第一台此类仪器，可以进行使用较慢的传统共焦显微镜不可能进行的实验。 总之，这种独特的显微镜将使细胞成像和分析的新应用，允许定量分析活细胞和组织中的生化反应。这种仪器将使来自不同领域的研究人员能够使用包括酵母、蠕虫、苍蝇和哺乳动物细胞在内的模型系统来解决一系列基本的细胞生物学问题，所有这些都需要研究复杂细胞过程的复杂时空动力学。 不仅数据将被可视化，而且该项目的一个关键要素是专业生物医学成像工程师的参与。 在James邓肯博士的领导下，将实施用于分析细胞成像数据集的新软件，并将促进生命科学家与工程和计算领域的科学家之间的新交流。私营公司伙伴关系将进一步加强该仪器的能力，除了使各种学生、博士后和访问科学家能够进行研究外，该仪器和支持基础设施将通过研讨会和课程提供相关培训和教育。代表性不足的少数民族将参加耶鲁大学的良好的“明星”暑期实习计划的主持下，和一个新的生物教育辅导计划的贫困纽黑文学生。

A grant has been awarded to Yale University under the direction of Drs. Ira Mellman and Derek Toomre for the acquisition of a state-of-the-art multicolor spinning disk confocal microscope for the imaging and analysis of living cells. A central problem facing modern biology is to understand how cellular activities are integrated in space and time; this challenge applies to every branch of cell biology ranging from fundamental aspects of cellular organization and biogenesis to immunology, neurobiology, developmental biology, and microbiology. Increasingly, high resolution live cell imaging is emerging as a key tool in helping one understand how molecules, vesicles, organelles and whole cells are (re)organized in response to internal and external cues. New technologies that enable the rapid analysis of intact cells is needed to give a complete picture of these processes, and to study objects that occupy or dynamically traverse several optical planes as a function of time. Such imaging is therefore referred to as being "four-dimensional", capturing the behavior of a single cell in three physical dimensions plus time. The instrument will be the first of its kind at Yale University enabling experiments that were impossible using slower conventional confocal microscopes. In summary, this unique microscope will enable new applications in cellular imaging and analysis, permitting quantitative analysis of biochemical reactions in living cells and tissues.This instrumentation will enable researchers from diverse fields to address an array of basic cell biological questions using model systems including yeast, worms, flies, and mammalian cells, all united by a need to investigate the complex spatial-temporal dynamics of complex cellular processes. Not only will data be visualized but a key element of the project, is the involvement of expert biomedical imaging engineers. Under the leadership of Dr. James Duncan, new software for the analysis of cell imaging datasets will be implemented and will foster new exchanges between life scientists and those in the engineering and computational fields. Private corporate partnerships will further enhance the capabilities of the instrument.In addition to enabling research for a diverse group of students, post-docs and visiting scientists, the instrumentation and supporting infrastructure will provide relevant training and education through seminars and courses. Underrepresented minorities will participate under the auspices of Yale's well established "STARS" summer internship program, and a new biology educational mentorship program for underprivileged New Haven students.