Live Cell Imaging Upgrades to Quorum Diskovery Spinning Disk Microscope System

成像技术可以精确定位细胞结构，特别是蛋白质复合物和参与细胞间相互作用的组分的分布，处于细胞生物学的前沿。通过这种方法获得的信息扩展了我们的生物学基础知识，并进一步加深了我们对驱动关键细胞过程的机制的理解。使用最先进的高分辨率显微镜进行活细胞成像对于推进许多生物学科至关重要，对于取得研究突破至关重要。本申请所要求的设备包括对圭尔夫大学现有的Quorum Discovery旋转盘共聚焦显微镜系统的升级。这一要求包括激光、电动载物台和环境控制，以增强该显微镜的功能，并将其转换为最先进的活细胞成像平台。这些升级对于推进申请人的研究项目至关重要，这些项目包括研究细菌和病原菌，细胞信号传导和贩运事件以及神经元和干细胞发育。这种升级后的显微镜将被安置在分子和细胞成像设施，并将得到专业维护，圭尔夫大学的研究人员和更广泛的科学界在付费使用的基础上完全可以使用。除了将从申请人的实验室培训的40多名HQP之外，显微镜将成为该设施的主要共焦设备，每年将为200多名用户提供服务。

Imaging techniques that can precisely localize cellular structures, especially the distribution of protein complexes and components involved in cell-to-cell interactions, lie at the leading edge of cellular biology. The information gained by such approaches expands our fundamental knowledge of biology and furthers our understanding of the mechanisms that drive critical cellular processes. Having access to state-of-the-art, high-resolution microscopy for live cell imaging is essential to advance many biological disciplines and critical for making research breakthroughs. The equipment requested in this application consists of upgrades to an existing Quorum Diskovery Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopy System at the University of Guelph. This request includes lasers, a motorized stage and environmental controls to enhance the capabilities of this microscope and convert it into a state-of-the-art live cell imaging platform. These upgrades are essential to advance the applicants research projects, which include studying commensal and pathogenic bacteria, cellular signaling and trafficking events, and neuronal and stem cell development. This upgraded microscope will be housed in the Molecular and Cellular Imaging Facility and will be professionally maintained and fully accessible to University of Guelph researchers and the broader scientific community on a pay-for-use basis. In addition to the >40 HQP that will be trained from the applicants’ labs, the microscope will be become the primary confocal for the facility and will service over 200 users annually.