This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This Major Research Instrumentation-Recovery and Reinvestment (MRI-R2) award provides funds to support the acquisition of a Zeiss PALM MicroBeam IV Laser Microdissection Pressure Catapulting System (LMPCS) that enables and enhances life sciences research at North Dakota State University (NDSU). Research to answer basic science queries ranging from high-resolution gene mapping of polyploid species to the intricacies of biocompatibility between cells and engineered matrix will benefit from this acquisition. The new LMPCS system also improves the training of graduate students and postdoctoral associates through access to state-of-the-art technology. NDSU is a Land Grant institution that integrates research with education in an array of doctoral and Master's degree disciplines, including biology, biomaterials, cellular and molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, pathogenesis, pathology, physiology, reproduction, and others. Additionally, undergraduate and high school students are provided the opportunity to engage in research at NDSU, and will have access to the LMPCS. The microdissection technology lends itself to educational efforts and will be valuable for use in didactic laboratory courses, as well as demonstration in research theory courses and regional outreach workshops. Results from these studies will be disseminated by student and faculty presentations at regional and national meetings, and through publication in peer-reviewed journals.
