This proposal requests support for the purchase of a multi-photon laser scanning microscope which will be shared by a core user group of 7 researchers in the Departments of Zoology and Genetics. The members of the user group are exploring basic mechanisms in cellular and developmental biology utilizing a variety of model systems. These include the dynamics of cell migration during chorion formation in Drosophila ovaries; cytoskeletal interactions in the synctial Drosophila embryo and in C. elegans blastomeres; the dynamics of patterning gene during regeneration in Drosophila imaginal discs; the analysis of steroid hormone action in the developing epidermis and nervous system of Drosophila and the moth, Manduca.; and the dynamics of calcium signaling in simple nervous systems. All of the projects require tracking physiological or development processes in complex, 3-dimensional tissues. The multiphoton system will greatly enhance our capacity to image deeply into tissue and to detect fluorophores in living tissue for extended periods without inflicting tissue damage. The requested instrument will be made available to other researchers when it is not being used by the core user group.
