Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a fluorescent confocal microscope at Truman State University

An award is made to Truman State University to acquire a fluorescent confocal microscope to enable cutting-edge cell and developmental biology research. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, Truman is a predominantly undergraduate institution and the state’s only public liberal arts and sciences university. Faculty use innovative teaching strategies and high-impact research experiences to train students in the critical thinking and analytical skills they will need to be successful in their careers and communities. Fluorescent confocal microscopy is an essential tool in cell and developmental biology due to its ability to quickly provide optical sections through thick, sometimes living, specimens. The research and teaching using this instrument will train hundreds of students in confocal microscopy, broadly reaching undergraduates majoring in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Health and Exercise Science, and Nursing. Through existing programs at Truman, local K-12 educators and students will also be given the opportunity to learn about and use fluorescent confocal microscopy, increasing the awareness of this powerful instrument. Additional users from a nearby institution will promote further collaborations and contribute to Truman State University’s positive impact on northeast Missouri and the liberal arts and sciences throughout the state. The faculty members conducting this research use five different model organisms to study fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms governing animal development, respiratory function, and plant:bacteria interactions. Specifically, this project will determine the roles of two genes in the developing embryos of a roundworm, aid in our understanding of the nerve connections in fruit flies, allow a detailed analysis of how the brain controls breathing in rats, determine how bacteria form beneficial relationships with a clover-like plant, and how pesticides affect the growth of beneficial bacteria on alfalfa roots. The highly detailed images obtained by the fluorescent confocal microscope will enable further presentations and research articles by students and faculty and advance scientific knowledge. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.