This award provides support for purchase of a laser confocal scanning microsope (LSCM) to aid research and educational programs at the grantee institution. Confocal fluorescence microscopy, which allows the reconstruction of 3-D images of cells and tissues, has become one of the most important tools in contemporary cell science. The instrument will be placed in a central microscopy facility which is already well-equipped with electron and light microscopes, sample preparation equipment, and image analysis workstations. A faculty director and full-time microscopy technician provide training and support to faculty and student users of the facility. This microscope will be used for a diverse set of research programs, including 3-D reconstructions of neural networks in marine invertebrates, neurogenesis in the adult mammalian hippocampus, control of calcification in the crustacean cuticle, and metabolic organization of cells. The instrument will also be used in research training and education at all levels from undergraduate to postdoctoral, and will be available for use by researchers at other local and regional institutions.
