The goal of the project is to improve the cell and molecular biology curriculum at the Department of Biology at Central Michigan University, The project will (1) develop a hands-on, instrument-based, course in microscopy; (2) improve the quality and effectiveness of laboratories in existing courses in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Methods in Molecular Biology, and Electron Microscopy for a strongly research oriented undergraduate program. The equipment requested includes high quality light microscopes equipped with optics and accessories designed with multiple applications of brightfield, phase, polarizing, DIC and epifluorescence, and a state-of-the-art image processing and analysis system. These new microscopes and one existing transmission and two scanning electron microscopes, one of which is equipped for x-ray (EDS), will interface, by film and video, with the image processor. Bench-type laboratory courses and activities which expose students to the practical use of instrumentation in real experimental situations will use this integrated imaging system.
