Award details

Confocal microscopy studies of neuroscience signalling and development

Reference	BB/C511199/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Alan Clarke
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Trevor Dale, Professor Stephen Dunnett, Professor Adrain Harwood, Professor Daniela Riccardi, Dr Michael Taylor
Institution	Cardiff University
Department	School of Biosciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	199,999
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/05/2005
End date	30/04/2006
Duration	12 months

Abstract

This request is for a flexible, multiuser confocal microscope to replace a very limited eleven year old instrument, and to complement other microscope facilities in the Cardiff School of Bioscience imaging suite. The requested confocal scan head is interchangeable between an upright and an inverted microscope. This gives the flexibility to look readily both at slides of fixed material and at live cells. The requested instrument has four lasers and so is capable of analysing a very wide range of different fluors. The associated software allows FRET, FRAP and 3D animation applications. In addition to servicing the needs of the current applicants, this new confocal will be managed as a central service delivering support across Biosciences. As such, the School has committed both high quality research space and specialised technical support. The six named applicants represent a balance of recently recruited and established staff, all of whom are well funded (for example, by four independent Programme Grants), and have overlapping interests centred on the themes of Molecular Cell Biology and Neuroscience. Their specific projects are firmly in BBSRC priority areas, and have the following specific objectives: To define gene-physiology relationships in the murine intestine using both fixed material to look at protein localisation and live cells to analyse movement. To characterise protein-protein interactions in GSK-3 containing complexes, especially in live cells using FRET and FRAP. To characterise the intracellular dynamics of GSK-3 in the model organism Dictyostelium in live cells using FRAP. To analyse gene expression and gene function in Drosophila muscle and heart development largely on fixed material to assess colocalisation of antigens and detailed cellular morphology. To characterise neuronal differentiation of stem/precursor cells for neuronal transplantation largely on fixed material for unequivocal cell identification through colocalisation of antigens. To analyse the role of the calcium sensing receptor upon Ca2+ kinetics in neuronal cells through colocalisation studies and using Ca2+ indicators in live cells. This group of projects absolutely requires state of the art confocal microscopy, a facility currently not available within the School of Biosciences. This application will remedy this deficit and promote cross group and cross discipline interactions within the School.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Research Equipment Initiative 2004 (RE4) [2004]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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