Funds acquired for the addition of academic research instrumentation for multi-user purposes have become extremely valuable during these times of expanding collaborative research efforts and times of tight funding. Equipment for academic research which is accessible to investigators from various disciplines is a beneficial and realistic approach to obtaining funds for large pieces of equipment that would normally be out of the realm of possibilities for individual laboratories. Mississippi State University is a Land-Grant Institution and as such, research is an integral part of the mission of the university. There is an electron microscope core facility on campus that has been a valuable service to the University's research community for 20 years. One of the scanning and one the transmission electron microscopes in the facility have been upgraded in the previous five years. Despite the many established and productive collaborations resulting from this resource, we feel it is important to take advantage of recent developments in optical microscopy to take us to an even higher level of sophistication. We have taken a team approach and strategically planned to enhance particular areas across campus and demonstrated strength and excellence in these specific areas of research and instruction. The university is building the research infrastructure by bringing together groups of researchers with different specific aims and scientific expertise and enhancing interaction across the disciplines. We believe that this cross-disciplinary approach to research has proven successful as evidenced by the success of the common facilities already in place and are confident that the multi-user instrumentation requested in this proposal will be as successful. This proposal requests funds to purchase a Molecular Dynamics CLSM 2010 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope. This instrument will serve the research needs of a number of faculty from var ious Colleges throughout Mississippi State University. We have a critical mass of investigators whose work involves microscopy of viruses and iving cells extending from the molecular level to interactions between pathogens, cells and tissues. Dr. Thibaudeau, investigates processes of embryonic development, particularly the neural crest, using the axolotl and zebrafish as model organisms, Dr. Wise, microtubule dynamics and microtubule motors during mitosis, Dr. Hanson, biochemical characteristics of channel catfish viruses, Dr. Baker, the functional morphology of cuticular sensory receptors and identifies patterns of sensory neurons and muscles of insect legs, antennae and palps, and studies patterning of neurons within the insect CNS, and Dr. Bumgardner, aspects of cell/material interaction. These investigators at Mississippi State are conversant with the advantages and limitations of digital imaging fluorescence and reflectance microscopy. The diversity in expertise is apparent from the above list and includes light, electron and optical microscopy, molecular biology, spectroscopy, image graphics and structural and computational biology. Researchers in other departments across campus have also expressed an interest in the availability and use of the confocal microscope should purchasing funds become available. The benefits of a laser confocal microscope are severalfold; (1) superior spatial resolution of the often subjective interpretation of cellular phenomena is provided by multiwavelength confocal microscopy, (2) information as to the three-dimensional organization of cellular and subcellular structures and the time dependent change in their organization during development and in response to specific perturbations can be obtained, (3) quantification of cellular features and/or processes (e.g. dimensions, frequency of occurrence, rate of uptake, organelle movement) and representation of this data in number form is possible. These a re only a few applications of the technology envisioned by the applicants. Investigations from the molecular level to cell/cell and cell/tissue interactions have reached the limits imposed by the subjectivity of less modern microscopic methods and by the difficulty and labor-intensiveness of manually processing sufficient information to create 3-D images and databases for statistical analysis. Collectively this group of researchers at Mississippi State University have the experience and collaborations established to utilize state-of-the-art multiwavelength confocal instrumentation to collect and analyze new kinds of qualitative and quantitative information, thus increasing the productivity and value of our ongoing research. The acquisition of a confocal microscope would help insure that Mississippi State maintains state-of-the- art microscopy equipment and would be directly useful to research efforts in several laboratories across campus and eventually to neighboring institutions in the state of Mississippi.
