MRI-R2: Acquisition of a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope for New Mexico State University

该奖项由2009年《美国复苏与再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助。该主要研究仪器-复苏与再投资(MRI-R2)奖项资助购买共焦显微镜，以支持新墨西哥州州立大学的一系列研究和教学活动。该仪器将被安置在NMSU的中央显微镜设施中，并由电子显微镜实验室管理，以改善该大学和周围社区当前和未来的研究和培训。新的共焦显微镜将支持细胞和发育生物学、神经生物学、动物/微生物相互作用、植物分子生物学、纳米技术和化学生物学的研究。这些项目将利用显微镜进行串联扫描进行活细胞成像的能力，这是一个分离重叠光谱的光谱探测器，对于需要非传统激发/发射光谱的应用将是必不可少的。新制度大大扩大了教职员工以及研究生和本科生的研究能力，促进了多个科学领域的职业发展。新的仪器还为研究、培训和教育提供了重要机会。参与调查的18名调查员指导了100多名研究生和本科生(60%为女性，57%为代表不足的少数族裔)，这些数字反映了他们致力于招募和培训妇女和其他代表不足的群体的历史。该系统将用于支持教育和外联活动，包括继续提供2门课程，在其他现有生物学课程中引入共焦显微镜，并为STEM方案进行示范，这些方案旨在招募和提高NMSU和整个新墨西哥州妇女和代表性不足的少数族裔学生和教员的研究技能。学生使用最先进的荧光成像和分析工具的机会将深刻影响他们的研究项目，使他们在进入顶级研究生课程或获得顶级博士后职位方面更具竞争力。来自新系统的数据将通过发表在同行评议的期刊上传播，学生和教职员工的报告将在地区或国家会议上发布。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Major Research Instrumentation-Recovery and Reinvestment (MRI-R2) award funds the purchase of a confocal microscope to support a diverse array of research and teaching activities at New Mexico State University. The instrument will be housed in NMSU's centralized microscopy facilities and administered by the Electron Microscopy Laboratory to improve current and future research and training for the university and surrounding community. The new confocal microscope will support research in cellular and developmental biology, neurobiology, animal/microbial interactions, plant molecular biology, nanotechnology and chemical biology. The projects will take advantage of the microscope's ability to perform tandem scanning for live cell imaging, a spectral detector to separate overlapping spectra, which will be essential for applications requiring non-traditional excitation/emission spectra. The new system substantially broadens the research capacities of faculty members and of graduate and undergraduate students, enhancing careers in multiple scientific fields. The new instrumentation also offers significant opportunities for research training and education. The 18 participating investigators mentor over 100 graduate and undergraduate students, (60% female, 57% underrepresented minorities), and these numbers reflect a history of commitment to the recruitment and training of women and other underrepresented groups. The system will be used in support of educational and outreach activities including the continued offering of 2 courses, the introduction of confocal microscopy in other existing Biology courses and demonstrations for STEM programs aimed at recruiting and enhancing the research skills of women and underrepresented minority students and faculty at NMSU and throughout the state of New Mexico. The opportunity for students to use state-of the- art fluorescent imaging and analytical tools will profoundly impact their research projects, rendering them more competitive in gaining entry to top graduate programs or obtaining top postdoctoral positions. Data from the new system will be disseminated by publication in peer-reviewed journals, and by student and faculty presentations are regional or national meetings.