This funding will enable Clemson University to acquire a spectral confocal /multiphoton microscope equipped with a widefield spectral imaging system. The new system will be housed in the Jordan Hall Imaging Facility (JHIF), which is the advanced light microscopy core imaging facility at Clemson University. The primary goal of the JHIF is to acquire and maintain advanced light imaging equipment necessary for conducting leading edge research, thus, providing the Clemson research community access to the tools necessary to compete with other top research institutions. As a core facility, the JHIF is dedicated to the training of investigators at all levels from undergraduate and graduate students to postdoctoral researchers. In keeping with the MRI NSF vision, this shared equipment would improve the quality and expand the scope of research at Clemson. The multiphoton capabilities will be utilized by Clemson researchers who work with live cells and whole organisms, such as chick embryos, zebrafish, and Caenorhabditis elegans, as this technique provides high resolution image acquisition with less phototoxity and deeper resolution than conventional confocal microscopy. The widefield hyperspectral capabilities of this instrument will benefit Clemson researchers currently engaged in nanoparticle studies, allowing them to not only visualize uptake of nanoparticles by cells in real time, but to also identify chemical characteristics of these nanoparticles. The addition of these capabilities will significantly influence the quality of research in the fields of biological science, bioengineering,
The Clemson Jordan Hall Imaging Facility is dedicated to the training of undergraduate and graduate researchers in advanced light microscopy techniques. In addition, the JHIF manager introduces high school teachers to advanced light microscopy through SCLife summer courses, giving them an opportunity to work with these techniques. To attract and assist underrepresented groups in the sciences, the JHIF offers a minigrant program for up to 10 hours of beam time on the instruments. The increased research scope that this microscope will bring to Clemson researchers could result in enormous benefits to society, including protecting the environment, food safety, new drug delivery systems, and safety from bioterrorism threats.
This funding enabled Clemson University to acquire a spectral confocal /multiphoton microscope equipped with a wide field spectral imaging system. The new system is now housed in the Clemson Light Imaging Facility (CLIF), which is the advanced light microscopy core imaging facility at Clemson University. The primary goal of the CLIF is to acquire and maintain advanced light imaging equipment necessary for conducting leading edge research, thus, providing the Clemson research community access to the tools necessary to compete with other top research institutions. As a core facility, the CLIF is dedicated to the training of investigators at all levels, from undergraduate and graduate students to postdoctoral researchers. In keeping with the MRI NSF vision, this shared equipment has greatly improved the quality and expanded the scope of research at Clemson. The multiphoton capabilities are utilized by Clemson researchers who work with live cells and whole organisms, such as chick embryos, zebrafish, and Caenorhabditis elegans, as this technique provides high resolution image acquisition with less phototoxity and deeper resolution than conventional confocal microscopy. The wide field hyperspectral capabilities of this instrument benefits Clemson researchers currently engaged in nanoparticle studies, allowing them to not only visualize uptake of nanoparticles by cells in real time, but to also identify chemical characteristics of these nanoparticles. The addition of these capabilities has significantly influenced the quality of research in the fields of biological science, bioengineering, advanced materials, and chemistry, among others, at Clemson University. While the Clemson Light Imaging Facility is primarily dedicated to the training of undergraduate and graduate researchers in advanced light microscopy techniques, the CLIF is also involved in broader impact activities. For example, the CLIF manager introduces high school teachers to advanced light microscopy through SCLife summer courses, giving them an opportunity to work with these techniques. To attract and assist underrepresented groups in the sciences, the CLIF offers a minigrant program for up to 10 hours of beam time on the instruments. The increased research scope that this microscope brings to Clemson researchers has already resulted in new insights that could bring enormous benefits to society, including protecting the environment, food safety, new drug delivery systems, and safety from bioterrorism threats.
