This is a request for funds to purchase a Leica TCS SP5 confocal system to replace an 11 year old similar instrument at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC). The Imaging and Morphology Core at ONPRC, a regional microscopy resource, was built around this only, now failing, confocal and urgently needs to replace it. During its useful lifetime, the existing Leica TCS SP has been heavily used by a large number of investigators, has resulted in at least 100 publications, several covers, has contributed to an increase in the number and quality of grants awarded, has been used to train at least 75 scientists, many graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and international visiting scientists. Now this old confocal has become unreliable and unserviceable, while many grants depend on data acquired with its help. There is no similar instrument that could accommodate the time requirements of the 10 participants to this application. After evaluating several brands, we selected another Leica because it provides a seamless transition, due to the similarity with the old one, and we were impressed by its performance. The features requested almost entirely reproduce the existing ones, accounting for some progress in the technology. The research we serve aims to understand basic mechanisms involved in development, puberty, sexual function and aging, and to find causes and cures for various diseases such as: obesity, diabetes, diet induced metabolic diseases, multiple sclerosis and other degenerative diseases, depression, anxiety, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, Rett Syndrome, nicotine-induced lung cancer. Our mission is to provide training, expertise and instrument access not only to ONPRC scientists but to the entire region. A new, functional, state of the art confocal is a necessity for us to fulfill this mission. ? ? ?
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