Abstract
We are requesting funds to purchase a Zeiss LSM 980 confocal fluorescence microscope with
Airyscan 2. This instrument combines super-resolution, fast scanning, and high signal-to-noise
imaging modes that will greatly expand the imaging capabilities at the University of Rochester’s
High Content Imaging Core (HCIC). Access to the instrument will be made available to a user
base that extends throughout the University of Rochester. Many research topics at the
University of Rochester encounter questions that cannot be answered with conventional
confocal microscopy due to the diffraction limit on resolution, the bleaching rates of scarce
fluorophores, high phototoxicity, or a combination of these factors. Over the past 15 years, a
variety of innovative super-resolution techniques have been developed that allow optical
microscopy to explore details below the diffraction limit. However, techniques that boost
resolution typically come with a cost in speed (e.g. single molecule localization microscopy
(SMLM)) and/or phototoxicity (e.g. simulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy). These
costs can be too high for many biological applications. Airyscan is a super-resolution technique
that has become popular in recent years because it offers improved resolution (~2x increase)
along with higher temporal resolution and lower phototoxicity relative to conventional laser
scanning confocal microscopes. This technology would therefore provide enormous benefit to a
wide range of ongoing projects at the University of Rochester. We have established an initial
user group comprised of researchers from across the University of Rochester River Campus.
These scientists span a diverse set of research interests that cover cutting edge areas of
quantitative biology including cell differentiation, phase separated DNA condensates, functional
genomics, the molecular basis of aging, and cell trafficking. The Zeiss LSM 980 with Airyscan 2
is an ideal resource to support these investigators and future researchers in advancing the
goals of their NIH-funded research.