A grant has been awarded to Dr. Lynne Bianchi and her colleagues at Oberlin College to purchase a confocal microscope. The confocal microscope will be used to enhance and expand the existing research programs of these faculty members. Specifically, the instrument will be used to investigate: 1) the cellular organization of developing inner ear cells; 2) the developmental fate of mammalian epiblast cells; 3) the shape and orientation of neurons that release or respond to gonadotropin releasing hormone; 4) the structural abnormalities of muscle cells from mutant C. elegans; 5) the projections of lateral line and inner ear neurites; and 6) organization of the teleost forebrain. These projects will benefit from the increased cellular detail and resolution provided by confocal microscopy. Each of the research projects described will investigate fundamental questions such as how cells are organized during development, how the nervous system is wired, and how cell structure relates to cell function. The findings will have direct relevance to the particular field of the investigator, as well as to understanding biological systems in general. The proposed instrument will not only be necessary for maintaining high-quality faculty research, but will also play an important role in recruiting and training undergraduate students. Oberlin College has a history of providing outstanding science education to a diverse body of undergraduate students and is currently constructing a new, $65 million Science Center which will further enhance undergraduate science training. These students are directly involved in the faculty member's ongoing research and will now have the opportunity to work with a state-of-the-art confocal microscope. Additionally, faculty will develop lab exercises that utilize confocal microscopy for upper division laboratory courses and a month long internship program for first year students. Oberlin faculty have found that introducing students to such instrumentation in a class often inspires them to pursue individual undergraduate research projects and enter graduate programs in the sciences. In summary, the confocal microscope will be crucial to expanding current and future faculty research programs, as well as enhancing undergraduate research and classroom training. The presence of a confocal microscope on the Oberlin College campus will be a tremendous value for both the immediate and long-term research and training needs of the college.
