Acquisition of a Zeiss LSM 980 Confocal Microscope with Airyscan Capability

Project Summary A user group of six major, and 5 minor, NIH funded investigators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) request funding to purchase a state-of-the-art Zeiss LSM980 Confocal Microscope System with Airyscan 2 capability to dramatically extend the CSHL Microscopy Shared Resource’s ability to perform streamlined multi-

color fluorescent imaging with improved resolution in live or fixed cells and tissues in either confocal, spectral, or Airyscan modes. This microscope system will help to rapidly advance existing research projects and will be an invaluable tool for CSHL researchers seeking new collaborative and translational initiatives. The requested

system includes 6 laser lines (405, 455, 488, 514, 561, 639nm), 2MA-PMT+32 Channel GaAsP Detectors, an Airyscan 2 Super Resolution Detector, Z-Piezo for fast Z-stacking, AI Sample Finder for Automatic Tissue Detection and Sample Carrier Calibration, and a Live Cell Incubation Chamber including stage surround

incubation, temperature, CO2, and humidity control. These new and advanced imaging features will substantially enhance the greatly needed imaging infrastructure at CSHL, enabling innovative research in cancer, neuroscience, genomics/genetics, as well as in fundamental biology. The Zeiss LSM980 system will be used to

address immediate questions in the areas of Gene Expression, DNA Replication, Neural Circuits, Synaptic Phagocytosis by Microglia, Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Developmental Disorders, Cellular Signaling, Breast Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer and the Tumor Microenvironment. As directly described in the research sections

these studies will be greatly aided by the acquisition of the requested microscope system. Of particular note, the requested instrumentation will be shared by researchers studying both basic biological processes as well as cancer and neurological diseases, and its shared use will therefore promote exchange of ideas and state of the

art techniques between the research groups at CSHL. The studies that will be enabled using the requested instrumentation are of direct relevance to public health in regard to cancer and neurological diseases.