Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

This is a revised application to obtain funds to upgrade existing microscopy equipment to accommodate an advanced neurostereology system for a group of integrative neurobiologists at the University of Western Ontario. A group of NSERC-funded labs seeks to upgrade a shared Nikon Eclipse 90i microscope with a new colour imaging camera and a Stereo Investigator system from MicroBrightField. This state-of-the-art advanced neurostereology system will provide a cost-effective solution to acquire accurate, unbiased estimates of the number, length, area, and volume of cells or biological structures in a brain tissue section. The Stereo Investigator system from MicroBrightField is the world's foremost system for advanced neurostereology. Neither this system, nor any similar system, is available at Western or from any other institution in the London, Ontario area. Included in this request is an extension module so that each research lab using the common data acquisition system can perform their stereological analysis away from the microscope. This will greatly improve the efficiency of the common microscope, as microscope use for data acquisition will not prevent other researchers from performing data analysis. In total, completion of this data acquisition and analysis system will be a significant advance for our combined research programs and will benefit all of our NSERC-sponsored projects. The Integrative Neurobiology Group at Western includes laboratories across multiple departments (Psychology, Physiology and Pharmacology, Anatomy & Cell Biology, and Audiology) and multiple faculties (Social Science, Medicine & Dentistry, and Health Science). This equipment will be utilized by HQP at all levels, across six different laboratories, as well as trainees from other laboratories that will be able to access the equipment as needed. Overall, the acquisition of this equipment will have both an immediate and long-lasting effect on the research that can be advanced and on the breadth of the training opportunities available in many research disciplines.