9724487 LEDERER, WILLIAM The goal of this project is to establish a two-photon microscopy facility to complement and extend existing multi- user bioimaging resources at the University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMAB). Two-photon excitation avoids many of the disadvantages inherent in conventional and confocal microscopies. For example, the approach affords better spatial discrimination for photolytic techniques and better penetration into thick samples. Furthermore, two-photon excitation entirely eliminates photobleaching, photodamage and background fluorescence in planes away from the focus. These properties make two-photon microscopy an excellent method for the study of living cells, and will permit important new experiments to be completed by UMAB researchers. A two-photon microscopy will also provide the basis for state-of-the-art training for students and postdoctoral fellows.
