Linfield College requests funding to purchase a Zeiss AxioObserver Z1 inverted fluorescence microscope system. The system enables DIC, phase, and fluorescence microscopy, and includes a motorized body for automated analysis in the x, y, and z planes, an environmental chamber system, and a micro-injection system. This microscope system will be used to enhance the research programs of faculty within the Biology department as well as to enhance the training of undergraduate researchers in the college. The research projects that will be enabled with this instrument include 1.) Deciphering molecular mechanisms of microRNA activity in vivo and determining the roles of specific microRNAs during animal development, 2.) Determining the role of phosphoregulation of proteins in regulating cellular motility in human and Dictyostelium models, and 3) Investigating the role of sponges and sponge-associated bacterial communities on nutrient fluxes in estuarine habitats. Undergraduate students participating in research projects in faculty laboratories and through curriculum-based research projects will use the microscope system to acquire high resolution images of mammalian cells, analysis of GFP reporters and immunofluorescence in Drosophila tissues and cell culture, and fluorescent in situ hybridization assays of bacterial symbionts in sponge. Undergraduates trained on this instrument will include a range of introductory through senior level students, and it is anticipated that research training incorporating this instrument will further enhance students' productivity and acceptance into graduate programs.
In the past six years, the Biology Department at Linfield College has undergone a significant period of growth, due to retirements and addition of new faculty lines, resulting in the hiring of five new faculty members. Among these new faculty hires are three faculty whose research includes various applications of fluorescence microscopy. In order to facilitate their research, to increase the productivity of all faculty, and to improve the research experience of undergraduate students in this program, Linfield College requests funds to purchase a Zeiss AxioObserver Z1 Microscope System that will enable faculty and students to generate publication quality images using its fluorescence, DIC, and phase contrast capabilities. The goals in acquiring this instrument are to 1) enable faculty members to collect high quality data, publish their results, and increase competitiveness for future external federal funding to support research programs; 2) enhance the department's work that integrates education and research by providing students with research grade equipment to perform high resolution, quantitative analyses of cells and; 3) provide outstanding research training facilities for undergraduate students in preparation for future research and medically related careers in the biological sciences. The department?s integration of research and education leads to research publications and presentations at national meetings as well as an excellent success rate for students applying to and succeeding in graduate and professional programs at the national level. Approximately 40% of the graduates from the department in the past five years have continued on to graduate or professional programs, and the trend in this pattern is increasing as new faculty establish and maintain their research programs.
