We are requesting funds for a Thermo Scientific CellInsight CX7 platform designed for high throughput, high content confocal imaging to replace a soon to be obsolescent widefield system at NYULMC. Replacement of this instrumentation is imperative to the continued operation of the High Throughput Biology Laboratory (HTB) to service its current and future customer base and attract future funding for NYU investigators. The CellInsight CX7 will be placed in the HTB Laboratory and will seamlessly integrate into an existing hardware and IT infrastructure specifically designed for high throughput screening. This core laboratory increases translational research at NYULMC by efficiently centralizing high quality, fee for service high-throughput, phenotypic assays. This system will expand and advance our research capabilities by offering high throughput, spinning disk confocal imaging, broad spectral range including near infrared spectrum, integrated brightfield, and live cell imaging to identify dynamic phenotypic changes at the well, field, and individual cell levels. This instrument will also broaden the types of assays that can be performed, especially for complex disease models, such as live cells, co-culture, organotypic culture, and 3D spheroids. This shared resource resides within the administrative structure of the Division of Advanced Research Technologies (DART), and is operated by an experienced and qualified staff possessing over 20 years of high content screening experience. The institution will support the instrument's continued operation and maintenance, and the core?s internal advisory board will be responsible for instrument oversight. With the financial and administrative support of DART, the HTB Laboratory will generate the business plan, operate and train users, and utilize a Laboratory Information Management System for scheduling and generation of usage statistics for compliance. The user group spans six academic departments and represents both basic and translational research interests such as cancer, stem cells, development, genetics, and neuroscience. The 10 NIH funded users combined will use 80% of the instrument capacity. Remaining instrument capacity will be available to any internal or external academic researcher. The availability of this instrument in a core setting will be unique in Lower Manhattan and we expect to serve NIH funded researchers from surrounding institutions.
We are requesting funds to replace an outdated automated microscope with a new system designed for high throughput and high resolution imaging and cellular analysis. This critical instrument will no longer be supported by the vendor and must be replaced for this shared resource laboratory to support innovative and collaborative science as over 70% of our projects are image based. The superior image quality of confocal imaging with the Thermo Scientific CellInsight CX7 will allow us to gain insight into complex disease models, such as in live cells, organotypic cultures, microtissues, and three dimensional cell models, and to facilitate translational research at NYULMC and neighboring institutions in Lower Manhattan.
