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

Powerful new techniques now allow researchers to attach fluorescent tags to individual molecules and track their movement and activity inside a living cell. The utility of this technology is only limited by the method of detection; not every microscope is equipped to track individual fluorescent molecules. TIRF microscopy allows for superior visualization of single molecules inside a living cell. We propose to upgrade an existing microscope to enable TIRF microscopy. This cost-effective approach will greatly advance the research productivity of eight researchers and their trainees. As the only TIRF-enabled microscope in the Maritimes, we anticipate that it will become a regional resource for academic research and training. This technology will be applied to understand how proteins interact with each other or respond to different treatments, and how these proteins work alone or together with other proteins to regulate or alter the normal function of cells. Studies performed with this live cell imaging system will provide important insights into normal cellular function and how cells respond to various stresses.