Confocal laser scanning microscope for high-resolution, 3-dimensional imaging in neuroscience

这笔赠款将通过购买关键的附加组件将现有的落射荧光显微镜升级为共焦激光扫描显微镜（LSM）。由Salvatore Carbonetto领导的7名申请人团队包括麦吉尔神经科学研究中心的研究人员。我们研究的一个主要重点是了解神经系统如何在细胞和分子水平上发挥作用，以及神经回路如何组装和重塑。高分辨率的三维显微镜对这些研究至关重要，但我们现有的设备是不够的，因为1）它使用太多，2）它是高度专业化的特定应用，3）它缺乏我们迫切希望在我们的研究计划中利用的特定技术能力。我们青睐奥林巴斯的FV 1000组件，因为它们可以与最近购买的现有奥林巴斯BX 61显微镜完美集成。集成的FV 1000-BX 61共焦LSM系统将补充我们现有的基础设施，并提供额外的技术能力，允许目前不可行的实验。这个RTI补助金为申请人提供了一个独特的机会来获得这种最先进的共聚焦LSM系统，这将帮助我们的学员1）完成并发表他们的研究，2）探索实验神经科学的前沿，3）为学术科学，生物技术行业或其他部门的职业生涯做好准备。

This grant will upgrade an existing epifluorescence microscope to a confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM) by purchase of key additional components. The team of 7 applicants led by Salvatore Carbonetto includes researchers at the McGill Centre for Research in Neuroscience. A major focus of our research is to understand how nervous systems function at a cellular and molecular level, and how neural circuits are assembled and remodeled. High-resolution, 3-dimensional microscopy is essential for these studies, but our existing equipment is insufficient because 1) it is too heavily used, 2) it is highly specialized for particular applications, and 3) it lacks specific technical capabilities that we urgently want to exploit in our research programs. We favor the FV1000 components from Olympus because they can be perfectly integrated with an existing Olympus BX61 microscope that was purchased recently. The integrated FV1000-BX61 confocal LSM system will complement our existing infrastructure and provide additional technical capabilities that will permit experiments that are presently unfeasible. This RTI grant provides a unique opportunity for the applicants to acquire this state-of-the-art confocal LSM system, which will help our trainees to 1) complete and publish their research, 2) explore frontiers in experimental neuroscience, and 3) prepare for careers in academic science, the biotech industry, or other sectors.