The PI and six colleagues in the Departments of Chemical engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan are requesting funds to purchase a confocal laser scanning microscope. This will enhance their research and research training in nanoscale engineering of complex fluids and biomaterials. Specifics proposed applications of the instrument are: to quantify defect dynamics during annealing of colloidal crystals, to detect self-assembled proteins, to observe microfluidic flows on cellular development, and to facilitate the efficient design of microfabricated devices.