Imaging and microscopy suite software and hardware upgrades

我们要求40468.50美元的资金，以升级与两台频繁使用的显微镜相关的软件和计算机。现有设备包括低倍率立体荧光解剖显微镜和高倍率荧光复合显微镜。这两种显微镜都配备了专用摄像头。这两台相机都是通过一台运行OpenLab软件版本3的共享Mac G4电脑运行的。显微镜及其相关相机、计算机和软件是在多年来(1996年、1999年和2000年)以总计超过171,000美元的价格购买的。从那时起，这两种显微镜以及相关的计算机和软件，都被许多教职员工、研究人员、研究生和本科生用来进行他们的研究项目。现有的显微镜是很好的。解剖显微镜的光学元件非常适合拍摄各种胚胎，包括青蛙、鱼、苍蝇和植物。由于其优异的光学性能，该复合镜是理想的。将显微镜和相机捆绑在一起的是OpenLab软件-这是一个功能强大但用户友好的元素。然而，运行IS的OpenLab软件和Mac电脑都是过时的，而且存在问题。这台计算机太旧了，运行速度和能力都不够理想。目前的软件和计算机配置虽然必不可少且使用量很大，但仍在限制其使用。升级这套显微镜的计算机和软件将提高功能和生产率，因此是有必要的。我们在此申请资金，以升级立体显微镜的硬件和摄像机、现有的计算机和成像软件，以便仍可使用现有的显微镜。这种升级是有成本效益的，因为这项请求只是该系统建立成本的一小部分。新的计算机将是最先进的，并提供现代成像软件所需的最佳速度和内存资源。此外，用户熟悉的简单但功能强大的OpenLab软件只是更新到当前版本(5.5.1)。向更新的过渡应该是无缝的，并将迅速和有益地影响现有的用户研究计划。

We request $40468.50 in funds to upgrade the software and computer associated with two heavily used microscopes. The existing equipment includes a low-magnification stereo florescent dissecting microscope, and a high-magnification florescent compound microscope. The microscopes are both outfitted with dedicated cameras. Both cameras are run through a shared Mac G4 computer running Openlab software Version 3. The microscopes and its associated camera, computer and software were purchased over a number of years (1996, 1999 and 2000) for a total of over $171,000. Since then both microscopes, along with the associated computer and software, have been used by many faculty, research staff, graduate and undergraduate students alike in pursuit of their research projects. The existing microscopes are excellent. The dissecting microscope optics are ideal for photography of a variety of embryos, including frog, fish, fly, and plants. The compound scope is ideal due to its excellent optics. Tying the microscopes and the camera together is the Openlab software - a powerful and yet user friendly element. HOWEVER, the Openlab software and Mac computer on which is runs are both dated and problematic. The computer is old and running at less than optimal speeds and capabilities. While essential and heavily used, the current software and computer configuration are limiting use. An upgrade to the computer and software of this microscope suite would increase functionality and productivity, and as such is warranted. We here request funds to upgrade the hardware and camera for the stereo scope, the existing computer and imaging software, such that the existing microscopes may still be used. This upgrade is cost effective, as this request is only a fraction of the cost that the system was to establish. The new computer will be state of the art and provide the optimum speed and memory resources that are required by modern imaging software. In addition the simple and yet powerful Openlab software, which is familiar to the users, is simply being updates to a current version (5.5.1). The transition to the update should be seamless, and will quickly and beneficially impact existing users research programs.