Confocal Microscope at NEPRC

描述（由申请人提供）：本NCRR SIG拨款提案的目标是获得最先进的激光扫描共聚焦显微镜，以支持新英格兰灵长类动物研究中心（NEPRC）的14名NIH资助的研究人员（PI）的研究，该中心是哈佛医学院（HMS）的主要研究机构。NEPRC是NCRR支持的国家灵长类动物中心，其使命是整合生物学和医学的研究、培训和服务，重点是人类健康和灵长类动物生物学。现有的多用户共聚焦系统是1998年购买的Leica TCS SP1，已经为我们提供了10多年的主力服务，并为NEPRC的广泛研究社区提供了出色的服务。虽然它在20世纪90年代是最先进的，但这种大量使用的老化系统不再满足我们在时间和空间分辨率、光敏性、成像质量和多功能性方面的需求。该系统不能支持在当今的分子/细胞/系统成像应用中可用的许多新颖且强大的应用，并且是不可替代的。我们目前的研究项目，从14个研究人员（11个主要用户和3个次要用户）在NEPRC和附属机构。这些项目代表了广泛的研究兴趣，从分子和细胞神经生物学到神经和精神疾病，从微生物学到艾滋病发病机制，从分子病毒学到癌症。每个主要用户都有一个共同的NIH资助的强大历史（他们每年从10个分类研究所获得超过1000万美元的直接NIH资金）和对先进成像技术的需求。我们建议购买Leica TCS SP 5 405 UV光谱共聚焦显微镜系统，带倒置显微镜、8条带AOBS的激光线、UV 405激光器、棱镜分光光度计检测器和易于使用的带FRAP和FRET控制的高级软件，所有这些都是主要用户提出的项目所必需的。与市场上其他一流的系统相比，Leica TCS SP 5在质量、选项、服务和价格方面提供了最佳的整体解决方案。它还允许巨大的权力和灵活性，并容纳许多新的应用程序，适合在NEPRC不同的研究兴趣的需求。该系统将安置在NEPRC成像核心设施中，由经验丰富的核心工作人员维护，并由NCRR基本赠款提供支持。新的共焦系统对于NIH资助的NEPRC的主要和次要用户的研究至关重要，并且极大地促进了NEPRC作为国家研究、服务和培训中心的总体使命。使用该系统进行的研究将对理解一系列神经系统，精神病和传染病的分子和细胞基础产生直接影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this NCRR SIG grant proposal is to acquire a state-of-the-art laser-scanning confocal microscope to support research of 14 NIH-funded Investigators (PIs) at the New England Primate Research Center (NEPRC), a major research facility at Harvard Medical School (HMS). NEPRC is a NCRR supported national primate center that pursues a mission that integrates research, training, and services in biology and medicine, focusing on human health and primate biology. The existing multi-user confocal system, a Leica TCS SP1 purchased in 1998, has served as a workhorse for us over 10 years and provided outstanding service to the broad research community at NEPRC. While it was state-of-the-art in the 1990's, this heavily- used, aging system no longer meets our needs in temporal and spatial resolution, photosensitivity, imaging quality, and versatility. This system is incapable of supporting many novel and powerful applications available in today's molecular/cellular/system imaging applications and is not upgradeable. We present research projects from 14 investigators (11 Major Users and 3 Minor Users) at NEPRC and affiliated institutions. These projects represent a broad array of research interests ranging from molecular and cellular neurobiology to neurological and psychiatric disorders, from microbiology to AIDS pathogenesis, and from molecular virology to cancer. Each major user has in common a strong history of NIH funding (they receive in excess of $10M in direct NIH funds per year from 10 categorical institutes) and a need for advanced imaging technology. We propose to purchase a Leica TCS SP5 405UV Spectral Confocal Microscope system with an inverted microscope, 8 laser lines with AOBS, a UV 405 laser, prism spectrophotometer detectors and easy-to-use advanced software with FRAP and FRET controls, all of which are essential to the projects proposed by the major users. Compared to other premiere systems on the market, the Leica TCS SP5 offers the best overall package in quality, options, service, and price. It also permits enormous power and flexibility and accommodates many novel applications that fit into the needs of diverse research interests at NEPRC. The system will be housed in the NEPRC imaging core facility, maintained by a highly experienced core staff, and supported by a NCRR base grant. The new confocal system would be essential to the NIH-sponsored research of the Major and Minor users at NEPRC, and greatly facilitate the overall mission of the NEPRC as a national center for research, service, and training. The research to be performed with this system will have direct impact on understanding the molecular and cellular basis of a range of neurological, psychiatric, and infectious diseases.