Zeiss LSM 980 confocal with Airyscan 2 - Project Summary This instrumentation request is for funds to purchase a Zeiss LSM 980 confocal with Airyscan2 microscope to upgrade obsolete confocal microscopes that are approaching the end of their useful lifetimes and are inadequate for life cell imaging. This instrument will be housed, managed, and maintained by the Optical Imaging Core Facility (OIF) at UT Health San Antonio, which is jointly managed by the Office of Vice President for Research and the Mays Cancer Center. The OIF supports more than 80 NIH-funded investigators’ labs, with confocal microscopy accounting for over 70% of the facility's usage. Last year alone, the OIF supported 76 externally funded research projects with a total award amount of more than $60 million. The acquisition of this new microscope is considered essential in order for the OIF to continue providing the needed services to a large number of NIH-funded research projects. The new instrument is particularly critical to the major users listed in the proposal, whose highly competitive and innovative research is dependent on the availability of this instrument. Investigators, including both well-established and new investigators from diverse research areas, will greatly benefit. The new instrument can truly lead to a better understanding of basic biological systems and to develop novel therapeutic strategies in treating many diseases states, including various types of cancers, brain injury, degenerative neurological disorders, immune system disorders, atherosclerosis, and liver disease. The availability of this new instrument will also stimulate other investigators at UT Health SA and nearby institutions to move their research into exciting and highly competitive new directions. Overall, this acquisition will without a doubt, significantly impact a large number of NIH-funded investigations covering an expansive array of disciplines in biomedical research.
