A DeltaVision Restoration Microscope forCNR Imaging

University Of California Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this proposal is to acquire NIH funding for a DeltaVision Restoration microscope for the CNR Biological Imaging Facility. This microscope system will augment the research and training capabilities of the Biological Imaging Facility, and specifically, will permit the research goals of the seven Major Users listed in this proposal to proceed forward. The Biological Imaging Facility is the only optical microscope imaging laboratory on campus, and as such is the starting point for biological research involving optical microscopy for a great many researchers at UC Berkeley. A major limitation, however, is the inability to resolve dim fluorescence, or resolution-limited samples. The requested instrument will fill a much-needed gap in optical instrumentation in the College of Natural Resources and the general scientific community at the University of California, Berkeley. Over the last year we performed preliminary experiments on seven biological systems, comparing the results obtainable from use on a DeltaVision deconvolution microscope to that obtained using the Imaging Facility's Zeiss 510 confocal microscope. For each project we present evidence showing that the DeltaVision restoration microscope far surpasses the capabilities of the Zeiss 510 in resolution and sensitivity. As a group, the researchers described in this proposal are involved in myriad aspects of microbial and sub-microbial biological events; all of which require deconvolution microscopy to adequately visualize their particular biological questions. The research described in this proposal involves fluorescence visualization of: (1) regulatory proteins SpoIlR, SpoIIGA, and pro-i in Bacillus subtilis (Hofmeister), (2) GFP-Iabeled AcMNPV virions during infection of insect cell (Volkman), (3) the suboellular localization of VirB proteins and the colocalization of T-Transporter components in Agrobacterium (Zambryski), (4) mitochondria structure changes during aging in fibroblasts (Ames), (5) transcription elongation factors Sdtlp in yeast (Kane), (6) 3D colocalization of dosage-compensation and SMC proteins on the Caenorhabditis elegans pachytene chromosomes (Meyer), and (7) characterization and colocalization of transcription factors in interphase Drosophila melanogaster cells (Tjian).