NSF Award
1920029
An award is made to Stetson University, a predominantly undergraduate university in Central Florida, to purchase an inverted fluorescent microscope system capable of imaging over a wide range of living biological samples from subcellular structures to small organisms. This instrumentation will actively engage undergraduate students across Biology, Health Sciences, and Physics in superior training through faculty-mentored research projects and promote implementation of inquiry-based lab experiences for students in upper-level Biology and Physics courses, thus providing exposure to advanced microscopy for a diverse population of students. The microscope system will propel cutting-edge research programs at Stetson University and foster sophisticated capstone research for seniors under the mentorship of faculty members committed to student training and advancing the participation of under- represented and minority undergraduates in the sciences. Student outcomes include opportunities to present their work at regional and national scientific conferences and as coauthors on scientific papers. Collectively, these invaluable experiences will promote scientific competency in students as they achieve a comprehensive range of career goals and contribute to the development of the next generation of scientists. Furthermore, the acquisition of this microscope system will provide a regional resource for other researchers in Central Florida, as well as enable exciting cellular-based science outreach programs through art exhibits based on images acquired using this microscope and expand Stetson?s existing relationships with local K- 12 schools through demonstrations and hands-on activities using this instrumentation to further promote scientific literacy.<br/><br/>This microscope will provide a powerful foundation to support and enable fundamental pioneering research by junior faculty members. Highlights of the research that will be enabled through this imaging system include: 1) tracking migrating cells in living tissues to link cellular and subcellular mechanisms to tissue-scale movements; 2) examining improperly located cell death proteins in malignant cells; 3) dissecting communication pathways that regulate cardiac myocyte cell proliferation and regeneration in Ciona intestinalis; 4) examining spatial organization and dynamics of iridescent marine bacteria; and 5) promoting education through use of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology by undergraduates in a Genetics course to manipulate and label genes in order to visualize effects in living organisms. These diverse interdisciplinary projects, made possible through the acquisition of this microscope, represent exciting educational opportunities for undergraduate students to contribute to meaningful scientific discoveries.<br/><br/>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.
