Confocal Microscopy for Engineering Stem Cell Microenvironment in Lymphatic Regeneration

项目总结

PROJECT SUMMARY The supplement fund is requested under PA-18-591 and NOT-GM-20-013 to purchase a confocal microscopy system, which will support NIGMS MIRA award R35GM143055-01. The research program supported by this award lies at the interface between engineering and medicine, with a motivation on making stem cells and molecular therapies as an effective method to model and treat lymphatic diseases. Toward this goal, the research program is working at the forefront of developing transdisciplinary approaches by combining stem cell and bioengineering, biomaterials, and microfluidics, as well as lymphatic and systems biology techniques to develop the necessary component in therapeutic lymphangiogenesis. Major amount of the work in the project now relies on engineering stem cells and hydrogels for in vitro and in vivo models of lymphatic vasculatures in health and diseases. The workflow relies on a rapid and reliable confocal microscope system, capable of imaging thick and large samples. Technology currently available to the laboratory is aging, incompatible for imaging biomaterials, requires advance scheduling, and necessitates paying costly user fees. The state-of-the-art, streamlined, and single laboratory confocal microscopy system requested here will permit a more rapid advance toward the project goals. The supplement fund is requested from NIGMS to cover 65% of the system cost. The remaining 35% will be contributed by the University of Notre Dame as institutional support.