Cytodynamic Imaging System

描述(由申请人提供)：本申请寻求NCRR共享仪器资助计划的支持，以更新我们的细胞动力学成像设备，使用最先进的替代激光扫描共聚焦显微镜。这个研究核心成立于1995年，目前由美国国立卫生研究院资助的六个研究项目使用，不得不停止生成数据(2002年1月)。2001年6月8日，热带风暴艾莉森摧毁了医学院的地下室和一楼，包括电力和空调在内的建筑服务中断了一个月。2001年7月9日，当我们获准重返大气层时，我们发现我们现有的共焦显微镜和计算机系统遭到了电子部件的损坏。联邦紧急事务管理局(FEMA)修复了系统硬件(17,000美元)，但我们在2001年9月遭遇了第二次挫折，因为我们发现现有共焦显微镜的供应商Noran Instruments关闭了业务。这让我们没有了服务合同，但更重要的是，我们失去了对用户运行的专门的活细胞成像应用程序的编程支持。具体地说，我们既不能进行多参数成像，也不能进行比率发射成像。因此，这一核心的研究人员不得不要么在德克萨斯医疗中心内找到超额订阅的收费服务，要么停止他们提案中的活细胞成像方面。最近对新系统的一项调查确定Zeiss 510元激光扫描共聚焦显微镜是Noran系统的合适替代品，因为它利用改进的声光偏转技术来快速扫描样品。这已被证明是本提案正文概述的活细胞成像实验的一项基本技术要求，其中允许：三维或四维时间推移成像、荧光共振能量转移(FRET)和多道发射指纹识别。综合生物学部已承诺为与Ziess签订的额外三年维护协议提供额外的空间和财政支持。因此，对所要求的文书提供了机构支持。细胞动力学成像设施有一个既定的组织结构，这确保了系统的适当共享。重要的是，我们不仅能够满足以前核心用户的需求，而且还在机构范围内协助了NIH资助的其他调查人员。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application seeks support under the NCRR Shared Instrumentation Grant Program to update our cytodynamic imaging facility with a state-of the art replacement laser scanning confocal microscope. This research core, established in 1995, and currently utilized by six NIH funded research projects, has had to stop generating data (January, 2002). On June 8th, 2001 tropical storm Allison devastated the basement and ground floor of the Medical school, building services including power and airconditioning were lost for one month. When re-entry was permitted on July 9th, 2001 we found that our existing confocal microscope and computer systems had suffered electrical component damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) repaired the system hardware ($17,000) but we suffered a second set-back in September 2001 when we discovered that Noran Instruments, the supplier of the existing confocal micrscope, closed business. This left us with no service contract, but more importantly, we lost programming support for the specialized live cell imaging applications our users were running. Specifically, we could not perform either multi-parameter and ratiometric emission imaging. Thus, researchers in this core have had either to find oversubscribed fee-for use services within the Texas Medical Center, or discontinue the live cells imaging aspects of their proposals. A recent survey of new systems has identified the Zeiss 510 META laser scanning confocal microscope as an appropriate replacement for the Noran System because it utilizes an improved acoustical optical deflection technology to fast-scan samples. This has proven to be an essential technical requirement for the live cell imaging experiments outlined in the body of this proposal, whereby it permits: time lapse imaging in three or four dimentions, fluorescence resonence energy transfer (FRET) and multi-track emission fingerprinting. The Department of Integrative Biology has committed extra space and financial support for three additional years of maintenance agreements with Ziess. Thus, institutional support for the requested instrument is present. The Cytodynamic imaging facility has an established organizational structure, which ensures proper sharing of the system. Importantly, not only have we been able to meet the needs of previous core users, but also assisted other NIH funded investigators on a institutional wide basis.