Laser Confocal Microscopy combined with the latest technology for collecting data imaging allows for the precise, scientific analysis and characterization of even the rarest and most difficult to study cellular structures. Thus, confocal microscopy is capable of imaging tissue or single cells from human, animals or insects but also bacteria, chromosomes, and even enzymes and molecules. Confocal microscopy is essential to the NIH funded research of at least fourteen scientists at the department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology (MIP) of Colorado State University (CSU). These projects include pathogenesis of microorganisms, immunology and vaccine development, drug development, and new methods of diagnosis and detection of human or animal infectious diseases. Within this frame of research, scientists of the MIP department covers a broad spectrum of human and animal disease including tuberculosis, lepra, Dengue, AIDS, West Nile and other equine encephalitides, Schistosomiasis and Plague. Lack of a confocal microscope designed with a fast scanning and parallel acquisition system is severely hampering productivity and generation of high quality subcellular images of microbial (bacteria, viruses, parasites) infection of single cells or tissue and correlation of physiological and structural changes due to alterations in molecular composition of membranes or subcellular compartments in steady or disease state. Therefore, principal investigators of the MIP with NIH-funded projects are requesting funds to purchase a Zeiss LSM 510 confocal laser Scanning Microscope. The MIP department is spread out between two CSU campuses (the main campus and the Foothills Research Campus) both in Fort Collins, CO but each one separated by a distance of approximately seven miles. The MIP has run successfully a confocal microscopy core unit consisting of a Flowview 300 confocal microscopy since 1999. This instrument is located in the Pathology building located in the main campus of CSU. However, this equipment is already 6 years old, is outdated, designed with a very slow scanning system and far away from the Foothills Research Campus. During the last five years, MIP researchers have surpassed the capabilities of this microscope. The Zeiss LSM 510 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy instrument will be located in the Foothills Research Campus and it will belong to the MIP Confocal Microscopy core unit. It will be available to all MIP researchers and to other researchers from other laboratories at the Foothills Research Campus such as ARBL (Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratories). The MIP department will provide the required funds and space to establish this instrument at the Foothills Research Campus. The initial service contracts will derive from the guarantee of the machine and thereafter, users' feel will be responsible for the cost of the facility. ? ? ?
