The University of Delaware (UD) is classified as a """"""""very high research activity research university"""""""" by the Carnegie Foundation. Much of this research activity focuses on diverse fields of biomedical research, particularly in the Department of Biological Sciences and the School of Engineering and relies heavily on advanced tools for the imaging of both tissues and cells. In order to maximize the utilization of these critical instruments, UD established a multi-user imaging core facility which is responsible for equipment scheduling and maintenance, the training of users and advanced technical consulting to develop new imaging techniques. One of the first instruments acquired by this facility (over a decade ago) was a LSM510 confocal microscope which is housed in the Department of Biological Sciences due to the proximity of its major users, tissue culture facilities and the UD animal facility. This instrument is heavily used by investigators across UD, however, it is reaching the end of its lifespan and its manufacturer will no longer provide service contracts and guarantee availability of the full range of parts for its maintenance after summer 2009. This application requests funds to replace this obsolete instrument which no longer meets the full needs of our user community with an upright LSM710 confocal microscope which will be located in the microscope suite in the Department of Biological Sciences and administered by the UD core imaging facility staff. This will ensure access to a working confocal microscope on the UD main campus to all investigators who utilize the UD core imaging facility. This is a critical resource for numerous NIH funded research projects at UD investigating diverse diseases including cataracts, osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer, angiogenesis and thrombosis and will also contribute to the development of tissue prostheses to repair or replace damaged tissues. Furthermore, this microscope will enhance the biomedical research capabilities at UD since it has capabilities absent from the prior microscope including increased sensitivity, the ability to clearly image low magnification images at high pixel resolution, the ability to perform raster image correlation spectroscopy at high sensitivity and low noise, and as our only confocal with an upright configuration will be ideal to meet our growing needs to conduct fluorescent imaging of whole animals, dissected tissues and engineered living tissue prostheses.
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