This proposal requests funds for a confocal microscope to be used as shared imaging instrument by the faculty in the department of biology at the City College of New York. The confocal microscope will facilitate the research activities of eight NIH-funded investigators some of whom already use confocal microscopy in their research, and will enable others to initiate a new dimension to their ongoing research activities. At the present time there is no confocal microscope available in any of the departments of the Division of science at City College. The current users of the confocal microscopy are using for-fee facilities at other research institutions in New York and Boston. A total of nine principal investigators and over 40 research personnel including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduates, and research assistants will use the requested microscope on a daily basis. The research projects of the users cover a diverse variety of confocal applications that include: cellular basis of song learning in birds, neurotransmitter function in nematodes, neuronal development in Drosophila and higher vertebrates, studies on Foraminifera, thymic nurse cell function and Drosophila hematopoiesis and immune response. The use of a confocal microscope is critical for these studies. Funds are requested for a Nikon C1 confocal microscope. This microscope has high quality optics, resolution and excellent image quality and is versatile and compatible to most imaging software. In addition, the low cost of the microscope and quality of service as compared to other manufacturers were important points of concern. The confocal microscope is a key essential instrument and relatively standard in most departments. Acquisition of the confocal microscope will greatly enhance the quality and the productivity of the NIH funded investigators at City College.
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