Purchase of a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope at Xavier University of Louisiana
Abstract
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act for 2014 allocated $10.7M to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) and to enhance their research and education capabilities in scientific areas relevant to the defense mission. The FY 2014 program supports the acquisition of research equipment and instrumentation to augment existing capabilities and to develop new capabilities that will facilitate greater participation in DoD research programs and encourage more students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This proposal from Principal Investigator, Dr. Thomas Huckaba, requests support for the acquisition of a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope (LSCM). The instrument will be utilized by the PI and seven other researchers to support their research efforts and their laboratories at Xavier University of Louisiana. While there are two functional wide-field fluorescence microscopes at Xavier University, a LSCM provides new research capabilities by allowing for the examination of the subcellular localization of molecules, proteins, and organelles in non-flat cell lines (e.g. epithelia), and the organization of cells and cellular structures in fixed tissue sections. Existing equipment lacks the optical resolution and sectioning capabilities necessary to perform these types of analyses. The instrument will benefit multiple experiments that are part of funded grants, as well as pending or planned grant proposals for which a LSCM is necessary. The educational and research activities of STEM undergraduate students at Xavier University will benefit from the acquisition of a LSCM in the following ways: 1. As an undergraduate institution in which undergraduate students are key to the research endeavors of professors, the presence of a LSCM will enhance the research experience and the overall training of undergraduate STEM students in the laboratories of the professors; 2. A new upper-division elective course has been developed titled Histopathology: Techniques and Analysis that will give advanced STEM students hands-on experience with fixation, staining, and analysis of pathology specimens for which the LSCM will be a central tool of investigation; and 3. The LSCM will be used during the LEAP Summer Scholars Program that takes place annually at Xavier University. This program brings local junior high and high school students to Xavier University for summer enrichment programs to develop interest in STEM education, introduce them to the college environment, and inspire them to imagine a future career in STEM disciplines. A permanent location has been secured on campus in the Cell and Molecular Core of the jointly funded Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC) / Xavier University Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) to house the microscope, as well as a dedicated staff member of the Cell and Molecular Core that will be responsible for its maintenance and the training of new users. The Xavier RCMI program has also committed to covering the costs associated with the annual service contract for larger maintenance needs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 30, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1510059
Entities
People
- Thomas M Huckaba
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Xavier University of Louisiana