Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope - Project Abstract This application requests funds for the purchase of an Andor BC43 spinning disc confocal microscope to empower research and expand capabilities in 11 labs across three departments in the Colleges of Science and Engineering at San José State University (SJSU). The Andor BC43 complements the functionality of our current Zeiss LSM 700 line-scanning current microscope, which is over 11 years old, technically outdated, and near the end of its serviceable life as replacement parts are no longer made. The LSM700 confocal is functionally limited, as it is an upright microscope, lacks environmental controls, and the line-scanning acquisition rapidly photobleaches live samples and is too slow to capture dynamic events. The new Andor BC43 overcomes all these limitations and adds new capabilities for visualizing dynamic biological systems, and will enable imaging of live mammalian cells. All users had the opportunity to test this instrument during a three-day long demonstration, and imaged both fixed and live samples. This permitted us to evaluate the performance of the instrument and compare it to our existing line-scanning confocal microscope, and to confirm that this instrument will increase capacity and expand the repertoire of experiments that can be performed on our campus. The Andor BC43 will be housed at SJSU within the Imaging Core Facility of the newly constructed state-of-the-art Interdisciplinary Science Building. The Andor BC43 microscope will be administrated using the same training, reservation and recharge systems that have been successful over the past decade of managing the LSM 700 confocal microscope. Our novel subscription model will guarantee funds sufficient to continue the service contract beyond the initial period in this proposal, and will accrue and roll-over to fund future repairs. The Andor BC43 will greatly enhance our biomedical research capacity by expanding the types of experiments that can be performed by faculty research labs to now include highly dynamic biological processes in living systems. Additionally, it will create new educational opportunities for our large population of under-represented minority (URM) undergraduate and graduate students by supporting active learning strategies in laboratory-based courses, thus promoting diversification of the STEM work force.
