Mitotic Spindle Assembly & Function in C. elegans - Equipment Supplement

University Of Oregon, Eugene OR

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract We request funds to purchase of a second CherryTemp device, produced by a company in France called Cherry Biotech, that provides precise temperature control of specimens mounted on slides during live cell imaging, and allows for very rapid changes in sample temperature (see Narrative for details). In the Specific Aims for our most recent renewal of R01GM049869, and in our research program outlined in R35GM131749, we proposed to use temperature-sensitive, embryonic-lethal (TS-EL) C. elegans mutants to investigate the genetic pathways that mediate the acentrosomal assembly of bipolar spindles during oocyte meiotic cell division, relying in large part on live-imaging of TS-EL mutants to define gene requirements. The temperature control provided by the CherryTemp device has greatly improve our ability to accurately and reproducibly assess gene requirements using our TS-EL mutants. Our Institute recently obtain funds from the Murdock Foundation to purchase a second Nikon spinning disk confocal microscope. This second CherryTemp device we now wish to purchase will come with components that allow it to be used on both our current Andor system and the new Nikon spinning disk confocal system. This new device will serve both as a backup for our current device when it breaks down (which it has at times, with one thermostat that is sensitive to wear and tear), and more importantly will allow my lab members to use both our Andor System and the new Nikon system simultaneously, with one lab member working on each scope, doubling our rate of data acquisition. Thus these devices not only will improve the rigor and reproducibility of our data, but also greatly accelerate our rate of data collection and how quickly we can achieve our research goals and initiate new projects.