Replacement of a high-throughput long-term live-cell analysis instrument

所需设备和拟议用途的描述：活细胞成像可以直接可视化动态和复杂的基本细胞过程、行为和细胞与细胞的相互作用。特别是，从几小时到几周的长期成像需要专门的图像采集和分析系统。在此NSERC-RTI应用程序中，我们要求更换长期实时成像系统，并选择购买Incucyte S3实时成像系统以及随附的分析软件模块来满足这一需求。Incucyte S3是一种全自动、免提成像系统，其独特设计用于在标准组织培养孵化器中操作和捕获图像，提供对细胞分析至关重要的受控环境，并可容纳所有类型的塑料组织培养血管，允许多个用户同时成像。该系统可以进行长期成像，如果需要可以超过几个月，并可以生成无标记生长曲线以及荧光测量。该仪器已进入使用寿命的末期，并对申请人实验室(Côté)的建立和她的研究项目的成功起到了重要作用，该研究项目的重点是研究内体肌醇在细胞中的作用和调节，以及共同申请者(Lagacé、Fullerton、Vanderhyden)的研究，重点分别研究神经发生中的自噬途径、胆碱在免疫细胞中的作用以及上皮向间充质转化的遗传决定因素。拟议的成像系统将集成到渥太华细胞生物学和图像采集(CBIA)核心设施中。这也将使渥太华大学/附属医院和研究所/卡尔顿大学科学界的多个研究团队能够全面使用这种具有独特功能的多功能仪器。预期结果、HQP培训的好处和加拿大在自然科学领域的领先地位：收购Incucyte成像系统的替代品将确保该地区在长期实时成像技术方面的能力，以及申请者研究计划的连续性和成功，使自然科学中的重要发现得以实现。将成像系统与CBIA核心相结合，将确保渥太华地区所有科学家都能平等使用。这将允许我们多样化和包容性的研究社区的HQP请求在最先进的技术方面进行个性化和量身定制的培训，以表征细胞功能、分化、细胞-细胞相互作用，以及细胞生物学、干细胞研究、免疫学和上皮向间充质转化等领域的高通量筛选。这些技能将为他们在学术界、工业界和公共卫生部门的成功职业生涯以及为加拿大在研究和技术方面的领先地位做出贡献做好准备。

Description of the equipment requested and proposed use: Live-cell imaging allows the direct visualization of dynamic and complex fundamental cellular processes, behaviors, and cell-cell interactions. Particularly, long-term imaging, from hours to weeks, requires specialized image acquisition and analysis system. In this NSERC-RTI application, we are requesting a replacement for a long-term, live-imaging system and have chosen the purchase of an Incucyte S3 live-imaging system with accompanying analysis software modules to fill that need. The Incucyte S3 is a fully automated, hands-free imaging system, uniquely designed to operate and capture images within a standard tissue culture incubator, providing a controlled environment crucial for cellular assays, and to accommodate all types of plastic tissue culture vessels which can be imaged simultaneously allowing multiple users at a time. The system can perform long-term imaging that can exceed months if required and can generate label-free growth curve as well as fluorescence measurements. This instrument has reached end-of-life and has been instrumental for the establishment of the applicant's lab (Côté) and the success of her research program that focuses on the investigation of the roles and modulation of endosomal phosphoinositides in cells, as well as those of the co-applicants (Lagacé, Fullerton, Vanderhyden) that focuses on studying the autophagy pathway in neurogenesis, roles of choline in immune cells, and genetic determinants of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, respectively. The proposed imaging system will be integrated to the uOttawa Cell Biology and Image Acquisition (CBIA) core facility. This will also allow multiple research teams within the uOttawa/Affiliated Hospital and Research Institutes/Carleton University scientific community to have inclusive access to this versatile instrument with unique capabilities. Anticipated outcomes, benefits to HQP training and Canada's leading role in the Natural Sciences: The acquisition of a replacement for the Incucyte imaging system will ensure regional capability in long-term, live-imaging technologies and the continuity and success of the applicants' research programs enabling important discoveries in the natural sciences. Integration of the imaging system to the CBIA core will ensure equitable access to all scientists of the Ottawa region. This will allow HQPs from our diverse and inclusive research community to request individualized and tailored training in state-of-the-art techniques for the characterization of cellular function, differentiation, cell-cell interaction, and high-throughput screening in the fields of cellular biology, stem cell research, immunology, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition to name a few. These skills will prepare them well for successful careers in academia, industry, and the public-health sector and for their contributions to Canada's leading roles in research and technology.