This proposal requests funds for the acquisition of an upright, widefield, automated, and motorized microscope, and a remote access workstation, to replace an unreliable and outmoded system we currently have in our shared resource in the Department of Genetics at Case Western Reserve University (CASE). The requested system from Applied Imaging, Inc. is a CytoVision Workstation and consists of a fully automated and motorized Zeiss Axioplan2 upright microscope with an x-y-z scanning stage, appropriate lenses and filters, a Roper Scientific CoolSnap HQ camera, and appropriate computer hardware and software for the microscope and the remote access workstation. The new system is designed to replace an inadequate and outdated Quips Genetic Workstation that is failing, and upgrade the facilities for motorization and automation. It will also meet the increasing demand within the Genetics Department and the School of Medicine for a system that can scan up to 8 slides at a time and autofocus and autocapture images, at multiple stage locations, of both fluorescently-labeled and histologically-stained specimens. The instrument will be housed in the current shared facility for examination of chromosomes, cells, tissue sections, and organisms. The imaging director is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the system and, together with an advisory committee, will oversee management of the facility. The Genetics Department and CASE will provide support for space allocation, renovation, installation, maintenance, and salary for the imaging director. The projects in this proposal depend upon multi-labeled fluorescence and histology analysis. Based on technical considerations and comparisons between instruments, the CytoVision Workstation is the best choice to meet the demanding imaging needs of the faculty at CASE.
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