Acquisition of a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope for Enhancing Undergraduate Research and Training across the Sciences at Washington & Lee University and Virginia Military Inst

Washington And Lee University, Lexington VA

Investigators

Abstract

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Drs. Watson, LaRiviere, Stewart, Erickson, Turner and ten colleagues from the Departments of Biology, Psychology, Physics and Engineering, and Computer Science, along with the Programs in Neuroscience, Biochemistry, and Environmental Sciences at Washington and Lee University (W&L), Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Mary Baldwin College (MBC) will acquire an Olympus Fluoview 1000 (FV1000) Spectral Confocal Live Cell System for research and training across the sciences. This confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) will form the foundation of the newly created communal microscopy, imaging, and computational core of a projected Interdisciplinary Quantitative Science Center that is part of a long-range, grant-funded initiative at W&L which promotes mathematical modeling, bioinformatics, and data analysis. The confocal microscope will enable fifteen researchers from three schools to expand their ability to detect, quantify, and localize gene products and to study biological structures, thereby expanding the scope of existing research agendas and developing new as well as collaborative research opportunities. Specifically, the confocal microscope will facilitate and impact the following areas: 1) the study of different aspects of synaptic connectivity and influences on neuronal wiring in the brain and central nervous system, 2) eukaryotic nonfunctional ribosomal RNA decay pathways, 3) effects of hormone regulation in the developing cardiovascular system and sexual differentiation, 4) mechanism of Ca++ regulation, 5) reconstruction of glandular morphology of terrestrial invertebrates, 6) ultrastructural analysis of single-celled eukaryotes, 7) rapid assessment of otolith structure in new fish species, 8) comparison of the formation of dense core secretory granules cells, 9) localization of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms on freshly harvested fine roots and organic matter and 10) image segmentation and analysis studies. Confocal microscopy is a technique that allows a three dimensional high resolution image acquisition of live or fixed specimens. By attaching fluorescent dyes (fluorophores) to biological specimens, cells and sub-cellular components can be identified with a high degree of specificity amid non-fluorescing material. Moreover, several target molecules can be visualized simultaneously with multiple fluorophores emitting light at differing wavelengths. Using image analysis software, the acquired serial optical sections are then rendered to generate a clean high resolution three-dimensional reconstruction of the specimen in which all out-of-focus light has been rejected. The result is an exceptionally clean high resolution image of a biological specimen that can reveal the presence of a single molecule. This instrument is critical for the study of biological structures and will have a transformative effect on how emergent young scientists are trained at W&L, VMI, and MBC. The CLSM will provide cutting edge tools for faculty to carry out their research projects and provide microscopy training and research opportunities to undergraduate students from three rural primarily undergraduate institutions. Using the teacher-scholar model, which seamlessly integrates research with discovery-based laboratory course work, W&L and VMI, will take full advantage of this instrumentation to promote further research integration into courses, to expand undergraduate programmatic research opportunities, and to promote student and faculty collaborations within and between departments and institutions.