The VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS) is requesting the purchase of a state-of-the-art Nikon N-Storm super-resolution microscope. This microscope can resolve objects the size of individual molecules. The system can be used to create images of pathological proteins in neurodegenerative diseases like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Alzheimer?s disease (AD), and other aging-related neurodegenerative disorders. These images can be used to better understand how pathological molecules spread from cell to cell. It can also be used to study the cellular dynamics of epilepsy and traumatic brain injury in cellular model systems. In addition, new advances have made it possible to use the incredible resolution of the N-Storm microscope to quantify transcriptional expression of individual cells, thereby understand how neurodegenerative diseases alter transcriptional expression. Understanding what molecules are involved in neurodegeneration will provide biomarkers to identify diseases in the preclinical phases and ultimately develop better therapies for neurodegenerative disease. The capabilities of this system are not available within VABHS and are critical to ongoing research projects
This is a request for a super-resolution microscope, which can visualize objects that are the size of individual molecules. The Nikon N-Storm super-resolution microscope is the only microscope that has this level of resolution and the other required features to study neurodegenerative pathology. This system will allow us to visualize structures that are 20 nanometer apart and better understand neurodegenerative disorders such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Alzheimer?s disease, and age related dementia.
