An award is made to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to establish microscopy infrastructure that will enhance investigator research in biomedicine, physics, neuroscience, and molecular biology. The instrument will expand research capacity at UTSA by introducing "closed-loop" experimentation on live cell/tissue samples. This will allow researchers to simultaneously optically acquire and manipulate precise spatiotemporal signals in real-time. In addition to research enhancement, the asset will serve student training with a program of workshops in technical mastery and cross-discipline science communication. Students from participating laboratories will develop proficiency in lay and specialized explanations of the technology, protocols, applications, and results obtained from their research. A compilation of student produced and narrated computer presentations and training videos will be made available to the lay public, and incorporated into student-curated Wikipedia pages as part of a public-science literacy outreach initiative.
The shared goal among the diverse users of the microscope is to acquire or "read" the activity of cells that are embedded in a complex network while "writing in" stimuli in cellular or sub-cellular compartments. The microscope's revolutionary technology allows delivery of precise three-dimensional spatio-temporal patterns of light. This unique capability will allow researchers to measure input-output transfer functions of complex cellular networks and address an expansive range of scientific questions not previously possible. The equipment design will be flexible, in order to accommodate preparations from tissues, whole animals, and plants. The microscopy unit will enhance research rigor and become a nucleus for multi-disciplinary collaboration, and will transform the research and training landscape of UTSA.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
