Ten NIH-funded investigators at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine are seeking funds to obtain Leica microscope is justified on the basis of eminent need to replace an eight year old Meridian Instruments ACAS 570 that is becoming obsolete. Upgrading the ACAS is not a viable option since the ACAS is no longer manufactured and Meridian Instruments is out of business. The proposed confocal imaging system offers several needed imaging capabilities that our existing instrument lacks including: 1) faster image acquisition rates, 2) simultaneous use of 3 lasers, 3) increased spatial resolution, and 4) simultaneous monitoring of 3 wavelengths of emitted light via a spectrophotometric non-filter based detection system. The imaging system will be configured around a Leica DMR upright stand equipped for laser based differential interference contrast (DIG) microscopy. Illumination will be provided by 3 lasers: argon, argon/krypton and helium/neon. The Leica TCS 5P will support an initial user group of investigators in the areas of Lung Pathobiology, Cardiovascular Sciences, Neuroscience and Cancer/Oxidative Stress. It is anticipated that this group will use the instrument approximately 70% of the time. The confocal microscope will be housed in the College of Medicine Research Cytometry Core Laboratory which is under the direction of Dr. Raymond Hester. Administrative oversight and 1he operating budget for the Research Cytometry Core Laboratory are provided by the Senior Associate Dean of the College of Medicine. Investigators will pay a nominal fee for the use of the Leica TCS 5P. The addition of this new generation confocal microscope will provide NIH-funded investigators on our campus with state-of-the-art imaging capabilities to support their research.
