Multiphoton intravital microscope - ABSTRACT The Albany Medical College (AMC) Imaging Core Facility, representing the imaging needs from multiple NIH-funded investigators, proposes to acquire an Olympus FVMPE-RS multiphoton microscope suited for intravital microscopy. This instrument will bridge a key gap in our current offerings and will allow for AMC and other Capital District researchers to perform detailed mechanistic studies in mouse models of disease, on topics as varied as systemic inflammation and resolution (Adam, Fredman, MacNamara), lung disease (Tang, Mishra), development (Larsen), cancer (Barroso, Intes, Lamar, Logue), vascular disease (Pumiglia, Singer), and neuropathology (Zuloaga, Temple). All users listed in this application study highly dynamic mechanisms of disease and have well-established animal and in vitro models for their studies. However, their research is currently being limited by the lack of a microscope that allows for high depth and cellular/subcellular resolution imaging to complement the imaging already performed at high resolution in ex vivo tissue samples and in vitro 3D models and non-invasively with low resolution and penetrance. This microscope with the proposed configuration will allow for real- time two-color deep imaging using an Insight X3 Dual laser (680-1300/1045nm tunable/fixed), two GaAsP detectors and a fast hybrid scanner. Two-color imaging is needed for the study of complex biological processes such as vascular/immune cell interactions, drug delivery and cancer cell migration and perfusion of the neurovascular unit. This configuration is designed to cover the main requirements of all major and minor users, while allowing for future upgrades and additions through institutional or individual investments. Through the acquisition of the Olympus FVMPE- RS multiphoton microscope, we will leverage the state-of-the-art animal facility at AMC to provide the needed access to multiphoton microscopy to NIH-supported investigators within AMC and at other research institutions in the Albany Capital District, fostering cross-institutional collaborations among NIH-supported investigators at these institutions.
