Spinning disc confocal microscope for live cell imaging

描述（由申请人提供）：波士顿生物医学研究所（BBRI）的10名nih支持的小组领导及其研究人员申请资金，用于购买Perkin Elmer UltraVIEW ERS FRET O旋转圆盘成像系统，用于活细胞的共聚焦成像。这些研究人员参与了美国国立卫生研究院支持的各种需要活细胞成像能力的研究项目，包括Ca2+信号，细胞骨架调节，膜动力学，细胞对心肌缺血损伤的反应，磷酸肌苷信号，新型cGMP结合蛋白的作用，以及平滑肌中收缩和信号蛋白的结构-功能关系。要求的显微镜具有专用的摄像系统，允许快速共聚焦图像采集，适用于记录活细胞中的快速运动序列，以及长时间过程，标准荧光或传统扫描共聚焦显微镜无法复制的特征。这项申请得到了大量初步研究的支持，这些研究表明所要求的仪器适合正在进行的研究。显微镜将并入细胞生物学核心设施。用户的维护和培训将由PI和研究所支持的技术人员提供。一个咨询委员会将负责行政和科学监督。由所要求的仪器支持的研究将导致研究领域的突破性发现，包括细胞迁移、细胞凋亡、细胞信号传导和肌肉发育；了解癌症、心脏病、早产、糖尿病和神经肌肉疾病等。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ten NIH-supported group leaders and their research staff at Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) request funds for the purchase of a Perkin Elmer UltraVIEW ERS FRET O spinning disc imaging system for confocal imaging of live cells. These investigators are involved in a variety of NIH-supported research projects requiring live cell imaging capability including Ca2+ signaling, cytoskeletal regulation, membrane dynamics, cellular responses to myocardial ischemic injury, phosphoinositide signaling, the role of novel cGMP binding proteins, and the structure-function relationships of contractile and signaling proteins in smooth muscle. The requested microscope with dedicated camera system allows for rapid confocal image acquisition, suitable for recording fast sequences of motions in live cells, as well as long time-courses, features not duplicated by standard fluorescence or traditional scanning confocal microscopy. The application is supported by considerable preliminary studies showing the suitability of the requested instrument for the ongoing studies. The microscope will be incorporated into the Cell Biology Core Facility. Maintenance and training of users will be provided by the PI and institute-supported technical staff. An advisory committee will be responsible for administrative and scientific oversight. The studies to be supported by the requested instrumentation will lead to ground-breaking discoveries in research areas including cell migration, apoptosis, cell signaling, and muscle development; and to understanding cancer, heart disease, pre-term labor, diabetes, and neuromuscular diseases among others.