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Principal Investigator: JAMES E CASSAT
Organization: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Fiscal Year: 2023
Award: $857,209
Funding agency: NIH Office of the Director
PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Funds are requested to purchase a Nikon A1R Multiphoton (MP) Imaging System, to be integrated into the
Vanderbilt Cell Imaging Shared Resource (CISR). Vanderbilt has a history of excellence in biomedical imaging,
with outstanding facilities for human and live animal imaging within the Institute of Imaging Sciences,
groundbreaking molecular imaging within the Mass Spectrometry Research Center, and cutting-edge equipment
for advanced light microscopy within the CISR. However, the ability to integrate these outstanding resources to
image biologic processes across all scales – i.e. from the whole organism down to subcellular structure – has
been limited by the lack of an imaging solution to bridge live animal imaging to ex vivo imaging of tissues and
cells. The proposed MP System is capable of visualizing cellular events deep within the tissues of living
organisms through intravital imaging, providing a critical link between in vivo and ex vivo scales. A group of 12
NIH-funded User Groups across Vanderbilt will initially be supported by this instrument. These investigators have
unmet imaging needs to support NIH-funded projects spanning infectious diseases, immunology, neurobiology,
digestive diseases, epithelial biology, diabetes, lung injury, and cancer.
The proposed configuration of the MP System is based on the needs of the User Groups and includes: 1) a dual-
output laser with primary tunable beam (800-1300 nm) and secondary fixed (1040 nm) beam to support imaging
depth of up to 1.4mm, 2) a high-speed resonant scanner for dynamic imaging of up to 720fps, 3) a fully
automated, large-format stage and upright microscope stand to accommodate anesthesia and intravital
preparations, and 4) a selection of objectives specifically chosen to support the proposed User projects.
Additionally, with support from the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation (VI4), we
have already established a dedicated biosafety level 2 imaging suite with ancillary anesthesia, surgical, and
perfusion equipment to house the MP System and ensure that we can accommodate biohazardous specimens.
Vanderbilt is providing financial support to promote the long-term operation of the instrument, including salary
for technical staff and necessary service contracts. Technical support and training of new users will be facilitated
by the exceptional staff within the CISR, which has a greater than 20-year history of assisting over 300 labs on
campus. Moreover, the Nikon Center of Excellence housed within the CISR provides a dedicated local team of
specialists to support the microscopy needs of investigators on campus. Collectively, the proposed MP System,
together with outstanding institutional and core facility support, will enable the long-term objective of establishing
intravital imaging at Vanderbilt.
Terms: <Anesthesia><Anesthesia procedures><Biological Function><Biological Process><Biology><Body Tissues><Cancers><Cell Body><Cells><Communicable Diseases><Contract Services><Core Facility><Dedications><Diabetes Mellitus><Digestive Diseases><Digestive System Diseases><Digestive System Disorders><Ensure><Epithelium><Equipment><Event><Financial Support><Funding><GI tract disorder><History><Human><Image><Immunology><Infection><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Disorder><Inflammation><Institution><Intracellular Structure><Investigators><Laser Electromagnetic><Laser Radiation><Lasers><Link><Lung damage><Malignant Neoplasms><Malignant Tumor><Mass Photometry/Spectrum Analysis><Mass Spectrometry><Mass Spectroscopy><Mass Spectrum><Mass Spectrum Analyses><Mass Spectrum Analysis><Microscope><Microscopy><Modern Man><NIH><National Institutes of Health><Neurobiology><Operative Procedures><Operative Surgical Procedures><Organism><Output><Perfusion><Preparation><Recording of previous events><Research><Research Personnel><Research Resources><Research Specimen><Researchers><Resource Sharing><Resources><Salaries><Science><Specialist><Specimen><Speed><Subcellular structure><Surgical><Surgical Interventions><Surgical Procedure><System><Tissue imaging><Tissues><Training><United States National Institutes of Health><Visualization><Wages><Whole Organism><animal imaging><biomedical imaging><cell imaging><cellular imaging><diabetes><digestive disorder><digestive tract disease><ex vivo imaging><financial assistance><gastrointestinal tract disease><gastrointestinal tract disorder><histories><imaging><imaging system><in vivo><instrument><intra-vital imaging><intravital imaging><light microscopy><living system><lung injury><malignancy><molecular imaging><molecule imaging><multi-photon><multi-photon imaging><multiphoton imaging><neoplasm/cancer><neurobiological><operation><operations><preparations><pulmonary damage><pulmonary injury><pulmonary tissue damage><pulmonary tissue injury><surgery>