| NSF Org: |
DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 22, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 22, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1920029 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Eric Lyons
erlyons@nsf.gov (703)292-0000 DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $266,091.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $266,091.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
421 N WOODLAND BLVD UNIT 8278 DELAND FL US 32723-8417 (386)738-6686 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
421 North Woodland Blvd DeLand FL US 32723-0001 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Major Research Instrumentation |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): | |
| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
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.
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.
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.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Through this Major Research Instrumentation award, we acquired a wide-field inverted fluorescent microscope capable of live-cell tracking. This instrument was to support the research of faculty and undergraduate research students across science disciplines and has seen high use from researchers from Physics, Biology, and Health Sciences. It was used to recruit two new faculty members, who were able to pursue research at Stetson University that they otherwise would have been unable to support. The scope has been used by twenty-four undergraduate students pursuing mentored research projects over the time of the grant. In addition, it has been used to support classes, including a Biophysics unit on fluorescence and microscopy and a Cancer Biology course that used the scope to take and analyze images. The increased visibility of this research to the campus community also helped push through the creation of dedicated microscopy lab space during a recent renovation.
A few highlights of the research this instrument has supported include:
Where a protein is located inside the cell can alter cell behavior. Caspase-8, widely expressed during development, is a protein known to initiate a cell death/ cell suicide pathway called apoptosis and also promotes cell motility . Research to investigate caspase-8 intracellular localization revealed cytoplasmic caspase-8 expression in SW480 colon cells. Low oxygen conditions play a role in several cellular processes including metabolism and motility. Altered caspase-8 protein localization was observed in SW480 cells grown under low oxygen conditions (hypoxia) compared to cells grown under normal oxygen (normoxia).
Research by a faculty member recruited after the successful acquisition of the microscope who has used it to study the small tumor antigen of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus with three undergraduate students, who all presented their data at the American Society of Cell Biology. Two will be applying to medical school and the third applied to graduate school.
Research to study iridescent bacteria. Iridescence in bacteria is a newly discovered phenomena, and the microscope was used to visualize individual bacterium movement.
Research to study neuronal development in the genetic model organism C. elegans that expresses amyloid-beta protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. This work was presented by undergraduate student at a conference, which earned the student best award in the field of Molecular Biology.
Another faculty member was able to acquire the preliminary data she needed to successfully apply for funding through the National Science Foundation (# 2233325) to investigate the molecular mechanisms of fungal cell fusion. Her research has involved many undergraduate research students, including one who won an award at the Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting for the best talk in her session.
Last Modified: 01/26/2024
Modified by: Holley Lynch
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