Zeiss LSM 980 with Airyscan2 for Biological Studies at the University of South Carolina

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences (DDBS) at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy is home to more than 20 faculty members with active research programs in cancer and neuroscience. Nearly every faculty member in DDBS is supported by active NIH or NSF research grants. Moreover, the department hosts the Center for Targeted Therapeutics, which is supported by an NIH-COBRE grant totaling over $10 million from 2014-2024. However, this grant mechanism does not allow for large equipment purchases in its current phase. Since it was acquired in 2011, the Zeiss LSM 700 confocal microscope has been the main imaging resource for most of the research projects conducted at the. Researchers from DDBS and neighboring departments have become active users of the confocal imaging services. The expanding user base and established new research collaborations have contributed to the success of USC research communities. For example, our federal fiscal year 2020 federal funding was $4.2 million, while our most recent funding level for FY2023 was $14.8 million, with total NIH funding for FY2023 of $9,279,420. However, a few years ago, the old LSM 700 started to show signs of decline. Several repairs have slowed the process, but ultimately the microscope is becoming less and less functional. This application is a collaborative effort of main users from different USC departments to secure financial resources to acquire a replacement for this key instrument. It is essential for many active NIH-funded research projects as well as for many new grant proposals currently in progress. The requested Zeiss LSM 980 ($749,981.64) confocal microscope is the new generation of the Zeiss LSM product line, which can cover all current imaging activities while providing enhanced image quality and much-needed new imaging capabilities, including better spatial resolution, faster scans, and advanced spectral imaging and photomanipulation options.