We have requested funds to establish a confocal image analysis center to be shared by eight research groups in the Biology Department at Yale University. The user group has a broad range of microscopic requirements which include imaging of nuclear proteins in yeast, cytoskeletal proteins and structures in tissue culture cells, analysis of antigens involved in the patterning of vertebrate neuronal projections and a spatial analysis of cells in developing plant leaves, Drosophila, and mouse embryos. The research groups propose to use a wide range of fluorescence techniques to detect both gene transcripts and protein products. A confocal image analysis system will greatly enhance the level of detail which these studies can attain. In some cases, confocal microscopy appears essential. In comparison to conventional microscopy, confocal microscopy provides dramatic enhancements in contrast and resolution, and promises to become a standard biological technique. This is particularly true for immunofluorescence applications. Equipment of this type is not currently available at Yale.
