The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded a $283,481 Project Grant to Truman State University to acquire a fluorescent confocal microscope. This essential equipment will enable cutting-edge cell and developmental biology research and training for hundreds of undergraduate students in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, health and exercise science, and nursing. The grant aims to broaden participation and build capacity in STEM through this research infrastructure investment at the predominantly undergraduate, public liberal arts and sciences university in Kirksville, Missouri. The microscope will support faculty research using five different model organisms to study fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms in areas like animal development, respiratory function, and plant-bacteria interactions. This Project Grant, funded under CFDA 47.083 - Integrative Activities, will run from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026.