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

Cell Biology has been revolutionized by the development of fluorescent probes that can be used to track the localization of proteins in living cells.  The increasing variety of fluorescent probes with different spectral characteristics has allowed their use in colocalization studies involving mutiple cell components.  A major limitation with traditional fluorescent microscopy is in the difficulty of observing structures deep within thick specimens.  The advent of confocal microscopy has lead to a second revolution in imaging in biology.  The confocal microscope scans the sample using a beam of laser light that is focused only on the plane of interest.  This allows filtering out of signal coming from out-of-focus areas of the sample, and has opened up the exciting possibility of viewing proteins in the context of their native tissue or even in whole organisms.  In an increasing number of cases the simultaneous acquisition of data for 3 or more different proteins is required to determine where a protein resides and its relation to other proteins or structures in the cell.  Recently, the ability to observe proteins in living cells or whole organisms has once more revolutionized cell biology by allowing researchers to study cellular processes in real time.  The newer generation of confocal microscopes offer fast scanning speeds that make live imaging feasable.  Our investigator group is currently utilizing multiple fluorescent probes to study a wide variety of biological processes.  However, we are limited by lack of access to an operable confocal microscope.  The existing confocal microscoope in the Department is not made for live imaging.  It is also limited in the number of proteins that can be detected.  Furthermore, it is from a company that no longer makes or services confocals.  It is costly to maintain and it is not possible to replace or upgrade the aging components.  There is no other confocal microscope on campus or in the city.  We are asking for a new confocal that will be able to perform at the level demanded by our research needs.  This equipment will allow us to continue to train quality scientists and maintain an excellent research program.