PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This S10 proposal seeks funds to support the purchase of a state-of-the-art Leica Stellaris 5 confocal
microscope. This new microscope will be an integral part of the Imaging Core Facility within the Department of
Neurobiology and Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine. Departmental research is diverse and
spans the areas of development, addiction, neurodegeneration, injury/repair, and computational understanding
of circuits. The various research programs within the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy rely heavily on
microscopy. Only one aging confocal microscope is operational and available to the multiple NIH-funded users
in the Department. As such, that confocal is now under heavy, daily use that extends into late evenings and
weekends. Because of this heavy usage, the existing confocal microscope has already started to malfunction
and requires frequent technical repairs, delaying progress on many funded projects. Importantly, several of the
users are junior investigators who are at a critical juncture in their biomedical research careers. Acquiring a new
Leica Stellaris 5 will increase the capacity to fulfill the high demand for confocal microscopy needed to advance
and carry NIH-supported research projects forward. In addition, the Stellaris technology is so far advanced
compared to the current confocal that the researchers will be able to achieve significant new heights in their
capabilities. For instance, the Stellaris 5 features a novel, red-shifted White Light Laser to complement new
Power HyD detectors that extend detection into the near infrared spectrum, allowing for greater flexibility in
imaging capacity. This technical advancement and many others will increase productivity on the funded projects
in the Department and will enhance the types of experiments that can be performed, thus improving both the
capacity and capabilities of the health-related neuroscience research.