Wednesday, May 7, 2025
5/7/2025
Olympus VS200 Brightfield/Fluorescence whole slide scanner with slide tower - This proposal requests an Olympus VS200 brightfield/fluorescence slide scanner with a multi-slide loader and software for network integration to replace an aged Leica/Aperio Scanscope brightfield scanner. The Aperio scanner was purchased in 2007 and has performed >27,000 slide scans but service by the vendor ceased in September 2020. There are no brightfield or brightfield/fluorescence slide scanners at other shared facilities at UF. The Olympus VS200 was selected as the most suitable instrument due to its user friendliness for scanning and image handling, being multipurpose for brightfield and fluorescence scanning modes, accommodating regular and large sized slides, permitting greater slide loading capacity for improved workload (from 5 slides with manual loading with the Aperio to up to 35 slides per tray with continuous robotic loading for 210 slides), enhanced focus imaging for virtual-Z planes in samples up to 100µm thick, and excellence in local technical support. Seven filter cubes are requested to permit multiplex fluorescence for up to 7 fluorochromes. We are also requesting a Pinkel filter for high-speed, sequential imaging for 5 fluorophores. The VS200 supports all common image file formats and requested software will facilitate file batch conversions to other formats including OMERO tiff for data sharing. The new scanner will be operated in the Molecular Pathology Core (MPC), Department of Pathology, at the University of Florida, a shared research histology facility that occupies ~2,000 sq. ft. of space centrally located in the UF Health Science Center. The MPC has been in continuous operations for 20 years under the direction of the PI. Staff members of the MPC are experts in histology, immunolocalization, and light microscopy imaging and will provide management and technical expertise for use of this instrument. The scanner will be available to users of this application through nominal hourly rates during regular work hours while scanning during after-hours will be at half-rate costs. Strong institutional commitment ensures maintenance of the annual service contract during the instrument’s lifetime and departmental support is provided for technical support to train users for VS200 use. Instrument policies, fee schedules and conflict resolution will be guided by an Advisory Committee and User Committees. The 8 major and 12 minor users in this proposal are funded by the NIH and each requires scanned slides, and more so, for new fluorescence scanning capabilities afforded by this instrument. Current user projects include those using deep learning algorithms for analysis of renal biopsies for renal disease, studies of human brain samples from patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases, studies of human pancreas samples for understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms of type 1 diabetes pathogenesis, iron metabolism, and viral infections. Two major and two minor users are funded by the NIH Common Fund Human Biomolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP) that seeks to create 3D tissue maps and construct an atlas of the relationships between cells in several major organ cells of the normal human body. The wide variety of animal and human tissues and cell samples requires great flexibility in instrument configurability and operations as found with the VS200 instrument and requested accessories. These research studies will advance knowledge of human disease pathogenesis and permit translation of basic science to clinical strategies and will be greatly aided by award of the slide scanner proposed in this application.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).