MRI: Acquisition of Dual-Probe Near Field Scanning Optical Microscope for Dynamic Molecular Mapping of Cytoskeletal Force Generation

0521122VanVliet我们的目标是获得一种双探针-近场扫描光学显微镜，通过三个学术部门的PI之间的密切合作，使基于细胞骨架蛋白质的力产生的基础研究成为可能，这些PI以不同的专业知识解决这一科学问题。两个具体的研究项目，将大大受益于DP-NSOM的能力，提出。收购DP-NSOM将直接促进麻省理工学院和怀特黑德研究所三个学术部门之间的实质性合作。此次收购还将为两名初级教员提供显著增强的实验能力，他们的研究小组各自将工程原理应用于细胞和分子力学的研究。此外，这一DP-NSOM将是这些研究人员和其他研究人员之间拟议的跨部门合作的重要实验组成部分，重点是细胞骨架力学的分析和计算建模。此次收购还将对麻省理工学院在跨学科教育方面的倡议做出重大贡献。除了研究生和博士后研究员的研究培训外，麻省理工学院的教育努力将包括新的研究生和本科生级别的实验室模块。

0521122VanVlietThe objective is to acquire a dual probe-near field scanning optical microscope to enable fundamental investigations of cytoskeletal protein-based force generation through close collaboration among PIs in three academic departments who address this scientific issue with distinct expertise. Two specific research projects, which will benefit significantly from the capabilities of the DP-NSOM, are presented. Acquisition of the DP-NSOM will directly enable substantive collaborations among three academic departments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Whitehead Institute. This acquisition will also provide significantly enhanced experimental capabilities to two junior faculty whose research groups each apply engineering principles to the study of cellular and molecular mechanics. Further, this DP-NSOM will be a vital experimental component of proposed cross-departmental collaborations among these and additional investigators, focusing on analytical and computational modeling of cytoskeletal mechanics. This acquisition will also significantly contribute to MIT's initiatives in cross-disciplinary education. In addition to research training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, educational efforts within MIT will include new graduate- and undergraduate-level laboratory modules.