Students will have an opportunity to examine the nervous system at the cellular level. Equipment will be introduced to introductory students through demonstrations or simple exercises on cell culture and the identification of cells via immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence. More advanced students in the neuroscience curriculum will prepare primary cultures of neural cells for further study. The equipment, which will also be available for senior research projects, includes a stereo microscope with a color camera and monitor permitting all to view the cells in the field simultaneously, a phase/fluorescent microscope to identify the cultured cells with fluorescent antibodies, and a microscope equipped with an environmental chamber, video camera and monitor. This will allow direct observation of the dynamic processes of cell growth and migration. The university will provide 50% matching funds.
