Recent advances in imaging technology are opening doors to a whole new dimension of study for the neurosciences. Phenomena that were once deuced from in situ, biochemical, and genetic approaches are now being directly observed in the context of native environments, and in real time. The amount of information contained in the 3- and 4-dimensional images obtained by today's technology is enormous, and if extracted, these data can reveal valuable mechanistic insight into a host of neurobiological processes. However, the business of imaging analysis has moved far beyond the days of visual evaluation of 2D photographic print and the skill sets needed to data mine 3 and 4D digital data are often not within the scope of a biologist's available resources and expertise. Indeed, digital imaging analysis of today has become a sophisticated scientific discipline in and of itself, employing principles from mathematics, computer science and physics. Consequently, despite the powerful advancements in imaging capability, the wealth of information contained in images remains untapped in many cases. The purpose of the Quantitative Imaging Core will be to provide training and assistance in methods for quantitative analysis of microscopic images. Because the potential for applying quantitation to microscopic images depends in large part on optimizing experimental design and imaging parameters, providing training in proper image acquisition will be an inherent part of the core's mission. The Core's scope will include, but not be limited to, optimizing analysis strategies for the quantification of identified cells during migration and differentiation, quantification of dendritic spines, 3D reconstruction of intracellularly stained neurons, and quantification of dynamic microscopic data from calcium imaging experiments. As much of the work of our faculty leads to primary data in the form of images or image sequences, we propose to use the core not only to promote the quantitative analysis of imaging data for SNRP-investigators, but will extend our expertise to the general Neurobiology community at UTSA.
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