Live Cell Imaging System for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology Research

Project Summary The goal of this proposal is to acquire a Zeiss Axio Observer 7 Live Cell Imaging system which will be coupled with available custom-made and commercial bioreactor systems that will enable biomedical research focused on deformation microscopy, mechano-adaptation and cell tracking approaches for researchers at Boise State as well as neighboring and collaborator institutions. Led by NIH initiatives Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) at Matrix Biology and Idaho Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) there was a rapid growth of biomedical research focused at biomechanics and mechanobiology in Boise State. These efforts are further supported by both new PhD programs like Biomedical Engineering and by established PhD programs such Materials Engineering and Biomolecular Sciences that seen increased Bioengineering focus over the years. Despite this growth, there is only one confocal microscope to serve all the researchers in Boise State. This not only bottlenecks the use of confocal system which is better suited for 3D applications, but also limits mechanistic approaches to study how extracellular cues regulate function of living cells. The Axio Observer 7 with mechanobiology apabilities is a critical instrument for a diverse and growing number of biomedical researchers at Boise State University. These researchers include biomedical engineers, biomechanists, and biologists from three colleges: College of Engineering, College of Health Sciences, and College of Arts and Sciences. A unifying theme of this group’s research is the investigation of mechanically active musculoskeletal systems and materials in normal, diseased, and treated states. With strategic investments by Boise State University, this group has rapidly grown in the last 10 years (7 new faculty, 5 new labs), creating a critical mass of complementary expertise that is positioned to collaborate on transformative and synergistic orthopaedic and musculoskeletal research. Yet achieving this potential requires the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment to investigate the physiological and pathophysiological processes from molecular to tissue scales. Our ability to link this structural hierarchy is currently limited by the absence of a system that can apply physiologically relevant forces with a capability to observe molecular and mechanical consequences. As a result, biomedical faculty at Boise State University are poorly equipped to transition from discoveries in basic science to innovations with direct clinical application related to musculoskeletal health. Therefore there is a clear benefit of this live-cell imaging and mechanosignaling capabilities offered by this microscope system. The acquisition of the Axio Observer 7 with mechanobiology capabilities will correct this deficiency and will not only benefit NIH funded current project but also spur the initiation of many impactful projects with high funding potential.