ZetaView x30 QUATT Multi-Fluorescence Nanoparticle Tracking Analyzer - We are requesting funds for a ZetaView® x30 QUATT Multi-Fluorescence Nanoparticle Tracking Analyzer with colocalization of four lasers. This instrument is essential to biomedical research involving extracellular vesicles and other bio-nanoparticles. It enables high-throughput measurements of the size, concentration, zeta potential, and fluorescence of nanoparticles with the unique feature to assess colocalization of fluorescence signals on the particles. This allows molecular characterization and phenotyping of various subpopulations of extracellular vesicles, which is critical for the precision and accuracy of research. Currently, there is no similar instrument that can perform the colocalization analysis at the UC San Diego and the surrounding areas. Providing local researchers with access to this instrument will expand state-of-the-art technologies, enable new methodologies, and facilitate synergistic discoveries in multiple fields. The ZetaView® x30 QUATT will be placed in the Pathology Department Diagnostic Discovery Laboratory (PDDDL) centrally located on the UC San Diego main campus, maximally facilitating access by users from the School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Moores Cancer Center, and other Schools and Departments at the UC San Diego and the surrounding areas. The web-based Facility Online Manager (FOM) will be used for maintaining the services and resources offered, managing requests and reservations, completing billing events, running reports and managing settings as needed. The Department of Pathology will provide full administrative support. The institution will guarantee any shortfall for the service contract for at least five years. An advisory committee has been formed to oversee the usage and management of the instrument. Current Major Users are from several departments at the UC San Diego Health Sciences and nearby research institutions, and represent a diversity of research fields including cancer, metabolic diseases (diabetes and obesity), cardiac homeostasis, prenatal conditions and embryonic development, circulating RNA markers, therapeutic development, and neuroscience. The 10 NIH-funded Major Users will have protected use of ~80% of the instrument time whereas Minor Users and new users will be able to use the remaining instrument time. This instrument will be a worthwhile and timely investment to improve the research environment overall and enhance the quality of science performed at the UC San Diego. It will result in clear benefits for the research community of extracellular vesicles and other bio-nanoparticles at the UC San Diego and surrounding research institutions. This cutting-edge technology will not only directly benefit the faculty on campus but will also help trainees and junior PIs to launch a successful career in related research areas.
