MRI: Acquisition of Multimodal Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscope Workstation to Accelerate Multi-Disciplinary Research and Impact STEM Outreach in Northern Indiana

这项主要研究仪器奖支持在印第安纳州圣母大学收购光片荧光显微镜工作站系统。光片荧光显微镜系统将作为一个共享的仪器，由圣母院综合成像设施及其专家，长期工作人员管理。鉴于该设施连接到一个共享网络，它也将访问整个印第安纳州的许多机构。获得光片荧光显微镜将为各种各样的本科生，研究生和博士后研究人员提供尖端的培训机会。教师和他们的学员，由圣母大学综合成像设施的工作人员的支持下，将进行一系列的教育和推广活动，使用光片荧光显微镜工作站。光片荧光显微镜工作站系统将扩大和放大圣母大学在推进创新工程和科学研究、教育和社区推广方面的贡献。与传统的共聚焦显微镜相比，该显微镜能够以前所未有的速度和更高的轴向分辨率获取三维图像。除了快速和更大的样品之外，三维干细胞衍生的类器官或小的模式生物（例如，斑马鱼、果蝇或青蛙胚胎）可以成像，而不会用照明光损坏样品。减少的漂白和光毒性使得能够在许多天内进行长期成像。这种延长的时间框架和额外的光操纵模式大大扩展了可以进行的可能实验的范围。多模式显微镜能够在广泛的三维样品中研究细胞行为的动态，包括上皮细胞，大脑，眼睛，心脏和肾脏组织。该工具将允许回答关于正常细胞和转基因细胞如何在系统水平上相互作用的新问题。 该工具还将通过实现光操纵和快速成像来促进工程血管化组织模型和生物机器人的新分析。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of a light sheet fluorescence microscope workstation system at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The light sheet fluorescence microscope system will be available as a shared instrument managed by the Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility and its expert, permanent staff. Given that the facility is connected to a shared network, it also will be accessible to many institutions throughout Indiana. Access to the light sheet fluorescence microscope will provide cutting-edge training opportunities for a diverse range of undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral researchers. The faculty and their trainees, supported by the Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility staff, will undertake a range of educational and outreach activities using the light sheet fluorescence microscope workstation. The light sheet fluorescence microscope workstation system will expand and amplify the University of Notre Dame's contributions in advancing innovative engineering and science research, education and community outreach.This microscope enables three-dimensional images to be acquired at unprecedented speeds and improved axial resolution compared to traditional confocal microscopes. In addition to fast speeds and larger samples, three-dimensional stem-cell derived organoids or small model organisms (e.g., zebrafish, fruit flies, or frog embryos) can be imaged without damaging samples with the illumination light. The reduced bleaching and phototoxicity enables long-term imaging over many days. This extended timeframe and additional photomanipulation modalities dramatically expand the range of possible experiments that can be conducted. The multimodal microscope enables unprecedented capabilities for investigating the dynamics of cell behavior in a broad range of three-dimensional samples, including epithelia, brain, eyes, heart, and kidney tissues. The tool will allow new questions to be answered on how normal and genetically modified cells interact at the systems level. The tool also will facilitate new analyses of engineered vascularized tissue models and biorobots by enabling both photomanipulation and fast imaging.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.