MRI: Acquisition of a laser scanning confocal system to advance research and training in biology, chemistry, and physics at Willamette University

来自威拉米特大学生物、化学和物理系的六名科研人员将购买、安装、维护和管理一台共享的蔡司LSM-710型共焦显微镜，为威拉米特？S核心成像设备增加必要的功能，并推动细胞、分子和生物物理科学的多学科研究。当需要灵敏、高分辨率、三维、时间分辨率成像来明确定位和监控细胞分子、结构和过程中的同步动态变化时，共焦显微镜是首选方法。PI和co-PI的研究需要亚微米的轴向分辨率，消除背景散焦光，以及用于亚细胞分子的精确定位和准确量化的三维重建。几名研究人员需要对信号进行光谱分解，这些研究人员使用的染料的波长与样品背景的波长接近(Pi Coddington和co-Pis Fisher，Tallman)。此外，联合PIS Altman、Duncan和Tallman的工作需要对活细胞和/或组织中的亚细胞蛋白质运动进行成像。这就需要为LSCM系统配备明确的焦点，允许在更长的时间范围内对单个蛋白质进行成像，而不会在z轴上出现阶段漂移。Tallman博士和Altman？S博士的研究进一步要求细胞和组织保持在精确的温度和pH值，这就需要在这个阶段额外增加环境模块。因此，需要的具体能力是快速采集；通过时间序列分析进行活细胞和组织成像；用于光漂白目的的激光功率；以及光谱分离能力。总而言之，安装在倒置Axio观察者Z1显微镜上的蔡司LSM 710以最佳方式满足了我们的研究和培训需求。NSF奖用于为威拉米特大学(Willamette University)生物、化学和物理系的六名教职员工购买一台共焦显微镜，该大学主要是一所本科院校。S的六名联合教授中有三名是女性，四名是终身教职前的初级教员；他们都在生物和STEM领域为强大的女性本科生服务。收购这一设备使威拉米特的研究人员能够回答各种高度相关的研究问题，包括：应激激素如何调控动物行为；基因和蛋白质如何控制神经系统的发育和功能；杀虫剂如何干扰动物的发育；以及热应激和激素如何控制植物的生长和繁殖。显微镜加速了我们的教员研究项目，达到了维持和/或竞争其他外部研究拨款所需的学科认可水平。随着显微镜成为更大的成像设备的一部分，供该地区其他小型学院的教职员工研究使用，并成为跨学科和协作研究的支点，我们也意识到了更广泛的收获。这一最先进的仪器吸引了积极进取的本科生投身科学事业，并为准备进入研究生院的本科生提供了高影响力的研究培训机会，并立即在技术劳动力中就业。

Six research-productive faculty members from the biology, chemistry, and physics departments at Willamette University will purchase, install, maintain, and manage a shared Zeiss LSM-710 confocal microscope to add essential functionality to Willamette?s Core Imaging Facility and advance multidisciplinary research in the cellular, molecular, and biophysical sciences. Confocal microscopy is the method of choice when sensitive, high resolution, three-dimensional, time-resolved imaging is required to unambiguously localize and monitor simultaneous dynamic changes in cellular molecules, structures, and processes. Research by the PI and co-PIs requires submicron axial resolution, elimination of background out-of-focus light, and 3-D reconstruction for precise localization and accurate quantification of sub-cellular molecules. Spectral un-mixing of the signals is required for several investigators who work with dyes that emit at wavelengths close to that of specimen background (PI Coddington and co-PIs Fisher, Tallman). Further, the work of co-PIs Altman, Duncan, and Tallman requires imaging of sub-cellular protein movements in live cells and/or tissues. This necessitates outfitting the LSCM system with Definite Focus, allowing imaging of single proteins over extended time-scales without stage drift in the z-axis. Drs. Tallman and Altman?s research further requires cells and tissues to be maintained at precise temperatures and pH, which necessitates the environmental module extra to the stage. Thus, the specific capabilities that are required are rapid speed of acquisition; live cell and tissue imaging through time series analysis; laser power for photo bleaching purposes; and spectral separation capabilities. In summary, the Zeiss LSM 710 mounted on an inverted Axio Observer Z1 microscope optimally meets our research and training needs.The NSF award is used to purchase a confocal microscope for six faculty members in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics departments at Willamette University, a primarily undergraduate institution. Three of the six co-PI?s are women, and four are pre-tenure junior faculty; all of whom serve a strongly female undergraduate student body in biological and STEM fields. Acquisition of this equipment allows Willamette researchers to answer a variety of highly relevant research questions including: how stress hormones regulate animal behavior; how genes and proteins control nervous system development and function; how pesticides interfere with animal development; and how heat stress and hormones control plant growth and reproduction. The microscope accelerates our faculty research programs to the level of disciplinary recognition required to sustain and/or compete for other external research grants. We also realize broader gains as the microscope becomes part of a larger imaging facility available for research use by faculty members at other small colleges in the area and a fulcrum for interdisciplinary and collaborative research. This state-of-the-art instrument attracts highly motivated undergraduates to science careers and provides opportunities for high-impact research training of undergraduates bound for graduate school and for immediate employment in the technical workforce.