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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE researchers awarded $433,938 NSF grant for purchase of a scanning spectral confocal microscope

Eight University of New England researchers have been awarded $433,938 from the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation program for acquisition of a scanning spectral confocal microscope for multidisciplinary research, teaching and outreach.

The microscope is a versatile instrument suited to many research projects designed to characterize biological processes within organisms and their cells.  

It is particularly powerful in that microscopic scans can be processed into three-dimensional representations of a sample which, together with the use of specific stains, can help us understand the relationships between structure and function within a biological system.

The Researchers

Timothy Ford, Ph.D, dean of the UNE College of Graduate Studies, and James Vesenka, Ph.D., professor of physics, are the principal investigators for the grant.

Co-investigators are Deena Small,Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and physics; Rene LeClair, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry/nutrition; Colin Willis, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology; Anna Bass, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate; Geoffrey K. Ganter, Ph.D., associate professor of biology; and Philip O. Yund, Ph.D., director of the Marine Science Center.

Microscope Core Facility 

Ford explained that "the microscope will anchor UNE's new Microscope Core Facility (MCF), and will be used by faculty, staff, and students in the basic sciences departments."

The seven primary users at UNE address questions pertaining to signal transduction, the effects of steroids on nervous systems, integrity of the blood-brain barrier, biofilm formation, characterization of fecal pathogens in the environment, and protein-protein interactions.

Acquisition of a confocal microscope was identified by each of these researchers as a critical step forward in developing their research programs. 

Focal Point

The new Microscope Core Facility will serve as a focal point to connect a number of formal and informal outreach efforts undertaken between UNE, our collaborators and local communities.

The highly visual nature of a micrograph lends itself to numerous creative ways to stimulate discussion and interest in science in our K-12 outreach efforts.  The MCF will also provide a resource for biological imaging in New England, making the instrument attractive as a tool to increase collaborative research.

"We are delighted to have received this award," said Ford. "The microscope will increase both research productivity and educational quality through provision of a centralized, technician-supported facility providing confocal services to the UNE research community." 

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.