Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope for Multidisciplinary Research and Education

An award has been made to Boise State University under the direction of Dr. Julia T. Oxford to acquire a confocal microscope to be used in multidisciplinary research and education programs. The instrument will be equipped with an argon laser, two helium-neon lasers and an ultra-violet laser. The microscope can capture two- and three-dimensional images of cells and their internal structures, and can be used with various fluorochromes to provide high-quality images. Cells can be observed live or fixed, and time-lapse films can be made to observe cellular processes. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and several other departments will use the instrument in studies from microbial ecology to fossil bone structure to neuronal development. Several nearby colleges will also have access to the instrument. Undergraduate and graduate students will use the instrument in their research and prepare peer reviewed publications of their work.