The proposal requests Nikon's A1R+ confocal laser microscope as a common resource shared major equipment integral to the core lab facility to be used by biomedical researchers of the James A Haley Veterans Hospital (JAHVH). Biomedical research at JAHVH is conducted by renowned, well-funded investigators. The proposed instrument will be predominantly used by 14 investigators, including 2 Senior Research Career Scientists and 2 Research Career Scientists with ongoing research programs related to Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, Gulf War Illness, respiratory syncytial disease, traumatic brain injury and regenerative medicine. In addition, these individuals have other grants (NIH, AHA, FLDOH, DoD, etc.) that will utilize the confocal microscope to help build on existing and new research projects that will benefit Veterans. This acquisition will be a much-needed replacement for the greater than 15-year-old defunct microscope presently available for use. No other confocal microscopes are available within JAHVH and the one available at the University of South Florida (USF, our affiliate university) is in high-demand within USF, shared by 5 colleges and often time-slots are unavailable as VA researchers are not given preference over USF researchers. Additionally, transportation to USF causes delays adversely affecting samples. The confocal microscope captures images at a higher resolution with high sensitivity compared to conventional microscope. Other benefits of confocal microscope include enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, comprehensible and close examination of thick samples, Z-axis scanning and depth perception in Z-sectioned images and electronically adjusted magnification. High quality images are the crux of research projects and are central to publications in high impact journals and obtaining federal funding. Nikon's A1R+ confocal microscopy system has a hybrid scan head that incorporates both an ultrahigh-speed resonant scanner and a high-resolution galvano scanner. The Ti2 inverted microscope platform features a minimum 25mm field of view (FOV) ? the largest FOV available on any microscope currently on the market. Ti2 with the A1R confocal scan head, can perform additional features like Super Resolution, TIRF and fast wide-field multi-channel imaging, all of which is controlled through NIS- Elements, its imaging software. The A1R+ confocal has a unique auto-correction collar available for high magnification super-resolution imaging. Stage top incubator TIZW series Neco incubation system provides real-time live imaging for uptake, trafficking, FRET imaging, RNA-protein interactions. Overall, the proposed instrument will significantly impact and augment VAMC's mission to advance the healthcare of Veterans by allowing VA researchers to conduct cutting-edge research in basic, translational or clinical fields. These endeavors will substantially contribute to the long-term research goals of the JAHVH.
The proposal requests funding for Nikon's A1R+ confocal laser microscope to be used as a piece of shared common resource major equipment integral to the Core Laboratory This equipment will be used by biomedical researchers of the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (JAHVH). The A1R+ comprises of Ti2 inverted microscope platform integrated with the hybrid scan head, 25mM field of view, multi-channel imaging and data analysis software providing high quality images. The proposed instrument will significantly impact and enhance the research program at the JAHVH and promote the mission of this Veterans Administration Medical Center to provide high quality care to Veterans.
