This project will develop a neuroscience laboratory course in the Department of Biology at Christian Brothers University. The neuroscience laboratory equipment will be used in the study of the nervous system using morphological, pharmacological and physiological laboratory techniques. The equipment purchased for this project will not only provide for this laboratory course, but it will enhance five courses currently offered within the Biology Department, at all levels. Not only will the education of the students be enhanced at all levels from freshman to senior, but also the accessibility of this equipment will enable both undergraduate students and faculty to participate in projects outside the classroom environment. The instrumentation will allow students an opportunity to obtain first hand experimental results that they will be able to manipulate and analyze. The project plans to acquire two computer work stations that will have both Internet capabilities and CD-ROM. These will be used in conjunction with current equipment available within the department and in the wider campus Computer Assisted Learning Environment (CALE) structure. Captured images obtained in class and data collected from physiological experiments will be placed on a secure CBU server which is accessible from throughout the campus CALE structure and remotely from off-campus. This will allow for internal collaboration among the students and the creation of a virtual laboratory for student use beyond the available hours of the physical laboratory. Thus, the equipment purchased as part of this project will maximize the time that students have to analyze their data and will encourage communication. This project will acquire an ultramicrotome, laminar flow culture hood, and inverted microscope to be used by neuroscience students to investigate the response of cultures cells to growth factors and other experimental conditions. The ultramicrotome will be used to obtain plastic embedded sections of tissue and cells to b e analyzed at the light microscopic level using NIH Image. Data will be obtained on cell structure and area occupied by the cells as well as number of immunocytochemically labeled neurons or glial after experimental manipulation to determine morphological changes that are representative of physiological alterations within the nervous system. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this modification of the curriculum will be conducted with assistance from other faculty members, students, and colleagues at the Neuroscience Center of Excellence located at the University of TN at Memphis.
