MRI: Acquisition of a confocal microscope to enhance biological and materials research at Montana Tech

共聚焦显微镜是一种强大的仪器，将提高蒙大拿理工学院的研究和教育机会，蒙大拿理工学院是蒙大拿州西南部的一所农村大学。共聚焦显微镜可以对不同领域的样品进行定量表征，包括生物、环境和材料。在蒙大拿理工学院，有12名研究用户被确定，还有两名用户在附近的部落学院Salish Kootneai学院（SKC），该学院将受益于显微镜的远程访问功能。该显微镜将被至少25名研究生和20名本科生用于第一年的研究项目，并将被纳入五门课程的课程（包括SKC和蒙大拿西部大学的课程），介绍约100名学生共聚焦荧光显微镜。此外，该显微镜将通过与Alpha Technology， LLC的协议提供给工业用户，并将与当地艺术团体Imagine Butte Resource Center合作使用。考虑到蒙大拿理工学院的研究人员和讲师的需求，拟议的徕卡SP8共聚焦系统配置为最大的多功能性和易用性。它包括一个垂直配置，可以轻松地可视化生物膜样品，四条激光线用于激发生物和环境科学中常用的荧光团，多个检测器用于同时获取不同的激发荧光团，以及活细胞工作所必需的高清探测器。该仪器将用于各种项目，包括检查生物膜对受矿山废物影响的溪流中金属运输的影响，高山植物对气候变化的适应，水处理系统中生物膜的形成和处理，生物膜辅助硝酸盐还原，以及纳米复合伤口敷料和组织支架的生产。总的来说，在蒙大拿理工大学的分析仪器套件中增加共聚焦显微镜将提高研究能力，提高农村PUI的教育水平，使附近的部落学院能够使用先进的仪器，促进与工业的合作，并促进科学教育的推广。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A confocal microscope is a powerful instrument that will enhance research and educational opportunities at Montana Tech, a rural, primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) in southwest Montana. Confocal microscopy enables quantitative characterization of samples across various fields, including biological, environmental, and materials. At Montana Tech, 12 research users were identified, along with two users at Salish Kootneai College (SKC), a nearby tribal college that will benefit from the microscope's remote access capabilities. The microscope will be used by at least 25 graduate students, and 20 undergraduate students for research projects in the first year, and it will be included in the curriculum of five courses (including courses at SKC and University of Montana Western), introducing approximately 100 students to confocal fluorescent microscopy. Additionally, the microscope will be available to industrial users through an agreement with Alpha Technology, LLC, and it will be used in a collaboration with the Imagine Butte Resource Center, a local art collective. The proposed Leica SP8 confocal system is configured for maximum versatility and ease of use, given the needs of researchers and instructors at Montana Tech. It includes an upright configuration that enables easy visualization of biofilm samples, four laser lines necessary for excitation of fluorophores commonly used in the biological and environmental sciences, multiple detectors for simultaneous acquisition of different excited fluorophores, and a high definition detector necessary for live-cell work. The instrument will be used in a variety of projects, including examining the impact of biofilms on metals transport in mine waste-impacted streams, the adaptation of alpine plants in response to changes in climate, biofilm formation and treatment in water treatment systems, biofilm-assisted nitrate reduction, and the production of nanocomposite wound dressings and tissue scaffolds. Overall, the addition of a confocal microscope to the suite of analytical instruments at Montana Tech will increase research capacity and enhance education at a rural PUI, enable access to advanced instrumentation by a nearby tribal college, facilitate collaborations with industry, and promote science educational outreach.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.