CONFOCAL IMAGING SYSTEM FOR BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURES

荧光显微镜的最新进展使生物结构的图像解析能力发生了革命性变化。这项修订后的提案要求为购买共焦显微镜成像系统提供资金，该系统将由生物系和纽约大学神经科学中心的研究实验室共享。这些研究人员在共聚焦成像方面拥有广泛的专业知识，但目前很少或根本无法接触到最先进的仪器。美国国立卫生研究院资助的目前使用共聚焦成像的项目包括：检测和量化多细胞动植物中的基因表达模式，脑片中单个神经细胞的可视化，以及细胞内结构细节和细胞间接触点的分析。该方案的具体目标是：1)在高分辨率下确定多个标记的生物结构在三维中的亚细胞定位。2)以高分辨率确定活细胞和生物体中的生物结构随时间的定位和动态相互作用。3)确定厚样品中生物结构的位置，并利用三维绘制方法重建这些结构的位置。所要求的CM系统将补充生物系内现有的成像设施，并将弥合目前NIH资助的研究项目可用技术的一个重要缺口。该大学将为设施的安装和维护提供支持，并建立一个管理结构来监督教职员工和学生的培训、准入、使用和仪器维护。

Recent advances in fluorescence microcopy have revolutionized the ability to resolve images of biological structures. This revised proposal requests funding for the purchase of a confocal microscope imaging system, which will be shared by research laboratories form the Department of Biology and the Center for Neural Science at New York University. These investigators have extensive expertise in confocal imaging, but currently have little or no access to a state-of-the art instrument. NIH funded projects that currently use confocal imaging include: the detection and quantification of gene expression patterns in multicellular animals and plants, the visualization of individual nerve cells in brain slices, and the analysis of structural details within cells and contact points between cells. The specific aims of this proposal are to: 1) Determine the subcellular localization of multiple labeled biological structures in three- dimensions at high resolution. 2) Determine the localization and dynamic interactions between biological structures in living cells and organisms over time at high resolution. 3) Determine the localization of biological structures in thick samples and reconstruct the position of such structures using three-dimensional rendering methods. The requested CM system will complement existing imaging facilities within the Biology department and will bridge an important gap in technologies currently available for NIH-funded research projects. The university will provide support for the installation and maintenance of the facility, and a management structure to oversee faculty and student training, access, usage, and instrument upkeep.