MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope System for Research, Education, and Training

An award is made to North Carolina Central University (NCCU) to support the acquisition of a confocal microscope for research and training activities. The confocal microscope will be used extensively to support the fundamental research activities of twenty-eight tenure-track, independently funded faculty, each directing research programs that will significantly advance knowledge in their chosen fields and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students from predominantly minority communities. The new microscope will enable the training of the next generation of scientists in modern microscopy methods for the analysis of diverse biological samples. This system will be used to train students in state-of-the-art imaging acquisition applications via existing courses and during direct undergraduate and graduate research experiences. The microscope will also be incorporated into outreach activities for middle and high school students.

The new microscope will critically enhance the scientific findings of many NCCU faculty who study a diverse range of topics using zebrafish, mammalian cell culture, Drosophila, mice, and transgenic plants. Projects that will use the range of capabilities of the confocal microscope include: neuronal developing and patterning, recombinant protein expression in transgenic plants, analyses with multiple ligand/receptor targets, brain development and mitochondrial biogenesis, and regulation of cell growth. Together with 3D printing technologies, this state-of-the-art confocal microscope will serve as a key means to develop interdisciplinary collaborations between individuals in the biomedical sciences and engineering. Data and analyses from these studies will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, presented at scientific meetings, and used in both educational and public outreach activities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.