Acquisition of a Leica TCS LSI Zoom Confocal Microscope

描述（申请人提供）：申请的仪器是徕卡TCS LSI变焦共聚焦显微镜系统。我们需要当前的配置，因为它具有最大的灵活性，可以从活体组织和细胞中捕获图像，也可以拍摄非常大的视野。目前校园内可用的其他共聚焦系统不足以满足所描述的项目，因为它们1)太慢，2)不拼接就不能成像大视场，3)已经高度调度，4)对于我们的用户需求不是正确的配置，主要是工作距离小的倒置显微镜，5)没有环境室来成像大型活体标本。目前在这所大学里还没有一种能与之媲美的共聚焦显微镜。因此，这台显微镜将使以前不可能的研究成为可能，或者只能以一种不合标准的方式实现，需要投入大量的金钱和时间。徕卡TCS LSI与其他共聚焦器的主要区别在于成像大视场的能力和从低到高放大倍率的变焦能力。该软件易于使用，图像捕获分辨率高，速度快；对于需要高吞吐量的多用户设备来说，这是一个主要优势。加州大学戴维斯分校需要新的设备来推进14名研究人员的研究项目。用户代表了广泛的科学兴趣，涵盖了校园内的四个学院/学院（医学、兽医医学、农业和环境科学与工程）。该研究高度关注基础科学和人类健康，包括空气污染物的吸入毒理学研究、哮喘动物模型、循环系统研究（包括心脏/血管疾病、大脑和神经系统功能障碍）、气道干细胞再生和medaka鱼的全动物研究。所有的建议都有一个共同点，那就是需要一种具有大视野和高分辨率的显微镜来快速分析培养物或组织中复杂的细胞成分。在加州大学戴维斯分校的核心设施中放置这些设备也将促进研究生，博士后研究员，居民和专业学校（DVM或MD）研究人员的项目。通过在核心设施中维护设备，在核心和中心网站上列出设备，以及在Van Winkle博士的校园成像课程教学中纳入设备，将促进与其他校园用户的联系。加州大学戴维斯分校的总体好处有很多。该设备非常适合加州大学戴维斯分校社区的研究需求，其中包括最近对儿童健康障碍自闭症和哮喘的强调，这两种疾病分别需要神经元和气道的大视野成像能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The instrument requested is a Leica TCS LSI zoom confocal microscope system. We are requesting the current configuration because it has the greatest flexibility in capability and can capture images from live tissues and cells as well as image very large fields of view. The other confocal systems currently available on campus are not sufficient for the projects described because they 1) are too slow, 2) cannot image large fields of view without stitching, 3) are highly scheduled already, 4) are not the correct configuration for our user needs being primarily inverted micrscopes with small working distances and 5) do not have an environmental chamber for imaging large live specimens. There is not currently available on this campus any truly comparable confocal microscope in terms of capability. Hence this microscope will enable studies that were not previously possible or were only achievable in a substandard way with a tremendous investment of both money and time. The Leica TCS LSI differs significantly from other confocals primarily in the ability to image large fields of view and to zoom from low to high magnification. The software is easy to use and the image capture is high resolution and very fast; a major advantage for a multi-user piece of equipment requiring high throughput. The new equipment is needed to advance the research programs of 14 investigators on the UC Davis campus. The users represent a broad range of scientific interest and span four schools/colleges on campus (Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Engineering). The research is highly focused on both basic sciences and human health and includes studies of inhalation toxicology of air pollutants, animal models of asthma, studies of the circulatory system including heart/vascular disease, brain and nervous system dysfunction, stem cell repopulation of airways and whole animal studies of medaka fish. All the proposals have one common element, the need for a microscope with a large field of view and high resolution to analyze complex composites of cells either in culture or in tissues, quickly. Placement of this equipment in core facilities at UC Davis will also facilitate the projects of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, residents and professional school (DVM or MD) researchers. Outreach to other campus users will be facilitated by maintaining the equipment in a core facility, listing the equipment on the core and center websites and by inclusion in Dr. Van Winkle's teaching in campus courses on imaging. The overall benefits to the UC Davis campus are many. This equipment fits well with the research needs of the UC Davis community, which has included a recent emphasis on the childhood health disorders autism and asthma that require large field imaging capability for neurons and airways respectively.