Support is requested for a laser based facility for the joint use of a group of investigators in the biophysical and biomedical sciences. Two argon ion lasers systems capable of providing combinations of continuous wave and picosecond pulsed output in the visible and ultraviolet will provide the core of this instrumentation. Requested equipment will allow access to four important experimental techniques which are currently required by local NIH funded investigators, but not available within the state. These techniques are fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (with imaging), picosecond time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and resonance Raman spectroscopy. Specific plans are given to use these techniques to study ion channels in membranes, drug interactions with cells, cell-cell interactions, mechanisms of calcium regulation in muscle contraction, protein-calcium interactions, structures of lipid/protein micellar complexes, and conformational microheterogeneity of DNA. Significant saving in acquisition costs, opportunities for enhanced scientific collaboration and the availability of personnel with significant experience with lasers will result from the shared nature of this proposed facility.
