The University of Miami School of Medicine requests a laser capture microscope (LCM) for its NIH-funded investigators. This state-of-the-art instrument is automated and user-friendly equipment that provides for the microdissected tissue of individual cells or groups of cells from tissue sections. DNA, RNA and protein can be isolated from the microdissected tissue and is of sufficient quality and quantity for use for gene amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, clonal analysis and direct sequencing, microchip arrays for differential display; and Western Blot and 2-dimensional protein electrophoresis. Microdissection provides a means to evaluate only the specific tissue of interest and avoids contamination by neighboring cells and tissues and by intravascular blood products. Unquestionably, LCM technology assists scientists in any field of medical and biological science and it is likely to be a standard, state of the art piece of equipment in any medical school, analogous to the electron microscope when that instrument was first introduced commercially available. An LCM instrument is not available locally and those of us who have experience with the LCM have been required to travel to distant academic centers to do so. Investigators at the University of Miami require such a facility to enrich and enhance our current NIH-funded research projects and enable us to conduct our research endeavors with cutting-edge technology. Institutional support for this LCM facility is enthusiastic and strong.
The Specific Aims of this Shared Instrumentation Grant are to 1) set up and operate a fully equipped central core LCM laboratory; 2) provide a structured environment for the evaluation of proposed, on-going and completed research projects utilizing the LCM laboratory; 3) train investigators at the University of Miami and other south Florida are not of sufficient quality for publication prints and for presentations at national and international meetings. Consequently, we request a camera and a workstation for the double headed microscope. This will be exclusively be utilized by Users of the LCM facility.
