Live cell imaging equipment for developmental and cellular biology

胚胎发育是新生命的第一步，而生殖细胞生产过程中的DNA重组决定了新生命的形状。莫斯和马森的实验室不仅致力于了解单个细胞--卵子--如何重组成成年动物的复杂结构，而且还研究在繁殖的第一步基因是如何正确保持和共享的。胚胎的每个细胞必须准确地了解其他细胞正在做什么，这是通过向它们之间传递信号的分子来实现的。莫斯实验室正试图确切了解这些信号分子是如何被接收的，以及它们是如何改变胚胎内细胞的运动的。这些信号的接收错误会导致重要的畸形，通常会影响神经管的关闭(背部打开)。这种被称为脊柱裂和无脑畸形的畸形是人类最常见的出生缺陷之一，每1000人中就有1人出生。卵子和精子是通过减数分裂过程从二倍体亲本细胞中产生的。在减数分裂过程中，遗传变异是通过减数分裂重组引入的，在减数分裂过程中，来自每个亲本的染色体重组为具有相似但不同遗传特征的配子。减数分裂重组的缺陷会导致细胞的染色体数目错误(非整倍体)，导致后代异常或无法存活。马森博士研究的主要目标是了解DNA重组如何影响减数分裂并导致非整倍体。这一点特别重要，因为三分之一的流产是非整倍体，非整倍体是导致发育障碍和智力迟缓的主要遗传原因。目前的应用是为继续这一重要工作提供必要的显微镜设备。

Embryonic development represents the first steps of new life while DNA recombination during germ cell production defines the shape of this new life. The laboratories of Moss and Masson are working to understand not only how a single cell, the egg, reorganizes into the complex structure of the adult animal, but also how genes are correctly maintained and shared during the first steps of reproduction. Each cell of the embryo must understand exactly what the others are doing and this is achieved by signaling molecules that pass between them. The Moss laboratory is trying to understand exactly how these signaling molecules are received and how they change the movement of cells within the embryo. Errors in the reception of these signals lead to important malformations, often affecting closing of the neural tube (open back). Such malformations known as Spina bifida and Anencephaly are among the most common birth defects in humans, accounting for 1 birth in a 1000.Eggs and sperm are produced from diploid parental cells by the process of meiosis. During meiosis, genetic variation is introduced by meiotic recombination where chromosomes from each parent recombine producing to gametes with similar but different genetic signatures. Defects in meiotic recombination can cause cells to have the wrong number of chromosomes  (aneuploidy), resulting in abnormal or inviable progeny. The primary objective of Dr Masson's research is to understand how DNA recombination affects meiosis and leads to aneuploidy. This is of particular importance since one-third of all miscarriage are aneuploid and aneuploidy is the leading genetic cause of developmental disabilities and mental retardation.The present application is to provide the microscope equipment necessary to continue this important work.