An award has been made to the University of Connecticut under the direction of Dr. David A. Knecht to acquire a spinning disc confocal microscope to be used for observing living cells in real time. The instrument will allow real-time, fast imaging of cells to study a variety of cellular processes, including motility, auxin transport, vesicular transport, and auxin localization in plants, slime molds, and fish. The microscope will increase viability of cells and allow observations to be made over long periods of time. The institution has strong record in several programs for recruiting underrepresented groups to science, and the instrument will enhance the experiences of students in these programs. Most of the users of the confocal microscope will be graduate students, and undergraduate and high school students will be given demonstrations with the instrument.
