This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The Biology Department Microscopy Facility at Central Michigan University will acquire a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope with this award from the Major Research Instrumentation program. The new instrument will have increased sensitivity, resolution, and scan speed to enable larger numbers and more diverse researchers across campus to conduct co-localization studies and enhanced 3-dimensional reconstructions of fluorescently-labeled samples. The users whose research will benefit from the new instrument include ten faculty and their students who work in the areas of developmental biology, cell biology, molecular genetics, neuroscience, and plant biology. The upgraded features of the instrument allow live-cell analyses required to study the dynamic changes in localization of proteins in both aging eggs in worms and in response to calcium levels in the slime mold. The improved image acquisition and rendering software will also allow for a better understanding of muscle and germ cell development in shrimp. Additional laser lines will enhance several studies including: chromatin structure in response to fermentation inhibitors in yeast, stem cell differentiation and neuroadaptation in rats, and regulation of early development in maize. Acquisition of the new laser scanning confocal microscope will also positively impact and expand the training opportunities of our undergraduate and graduate students. Students who pursue the Microscopy option of the B.S. degree in Biology take a required course in confocal microscopy and will particularly benefit from a new, state-of-the-art instrument. Program graduates should continue to have an excellent track record of job placements at premier research institutions across the country. Positive impacts and outcomes of this award will include increased research productivity and enhanced student training and will be disseminated on the departmental website and in peer reviewed journals.
