SHEEP REQUEST FOR LASER SCANNING MICROSCOPE (LSM) 880

The requested instrument is a laser-scanning microscope (LSM model 880), a confocalmicroscope manufactured by Zeiss, which is needed to replace an approximately 10-year-old Zeiss LSM 510, that is no longer supported by the company because it isoutdated. The updated LSM 880 microscope allows high-resolution confocal imaging ofmultiple fluorophores, permitting visualization of the subcellular location of proteins ofinterest and/or the co-localization of these proteins with other proteins or cellularorganelles. Importantly, the LSM 880 is equipped with AiryScan (Airy Disk) technology;this newer technology employs many single and independent detector elements, witheach of these 32 detectors acting like a very small pinhole. The confocal pinhole itselfremains open and does not block light; thus, all of the photons from the entire Airy diskare collected. The signals from all of the detector elements are then reassigned to theircorrect position, producing an image with an increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) andenhanced resolution. Thus, the AiryScan allows the collection of all of the emitted lightand combines super-resolution with high speed and sensitivity. The LSM 880 can alsobe upgraded to permit two-photon technology, which would allow confocal imaging ofthicker specimens, as well as cell wound healing assays. This instrument will support atleast 7 VA Merit-funded research projects from 6 VA Principal Investigators: (1)#CX001357: “Epidermal aquaporin-3 in psoriasis” and #BX004735:“Phosphatidylglycerol to promote corneal wound healing and inhibit chronicinflammation” (PI: Dr. Wendy Bollag); (2) #BX001232: “Role of copper transporters inatherosclerosis” (PI: Dr. Tohru Fukai); (3) #BX001233: “Mechanisms of traumaticretinopathy: Role of arginase” (PI: Dr. Ruth Caldwell); (4) #BX003862: “Role of B-arrestins in muscle-invasive bladder cancer” (PI: Dr. Balakrishna Lokeshwar); (5)#BX000319 “Ischemic kidney injury and kidney repair” (PI: Dr. Zheng Dong; Dr. Dong isalso a Senior VA Research Career Scientist); and (6) #RX001613: “GPR109A andParkinson's disease: Role of niacin in outcome measures” (PI: Dr. ChandramohanWakade). The Zeiss LSM 880 is a state-of-the-art system with a proven track record,allowing high-resolution optical sections, and it is expected that this shared instrumentwill promote collaborations between VA Merit-funded investigators and increaseresearch productivity thus advancing the VA mission to improve veterans’ health.