Equipment: MRI: track 1 acquisition of a laser scanning confocal microscope with super resolution and advanced acquisition speed for research and education

The National Science Foundation Division of Biological Infrastructure awarded the University of Wisconsin System, doing business as University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, $1,035,626 on August 1, 2026, to acquire a ZEISS LSM laser scanning confocal microscope with super-resolution and advanced acquisition capabilities for research and education.

The microscope enables visualization of living cells and tissues with lateral resolution up to 90 nanometers through an Airyscan 2 detector and provides high-speed multiplex imaging via a 32-channel GAASP detector and tunable emission settings. The system supports simultaneous imaging across multiple fluorophores, rapid Z-stack acquisition, live-cell compatibility, and integrated automation with environmental control and advanced analysis software for three-dimensional and four-dimensional quantitative imaging. The instrument transforms how researchers visualize biological processes in real time and enables precise tracking of dynamic subcellular processes over time.

UW–Milwaukee and the broader Milwaukee metropolitan area gain advanced imaging capabilities to support fundamental research on organism growth, development, and environmental response. The award also funds education and workforce development: the microscope trains undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers in advanced imaging methods and engages middle and high school students in STEM through hands-on outreach programs.

The period of performance runs from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029. Work is performed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This award supports the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), which promotes progress in biological sciences and strengthens the Nation's scientific enterprise through research and enhanced understanding of major problems.

Abstract

This award supports the acquisition of a confocal microscope that enables scientists to visualize living cells and tissues. The instrument provides the university of wisconsin?milwaukee, and the largest metropolitan area in wisconsin, with advanced imaging capabilities that transform how researchers visualize biological processes in real time. The instrument helps answer fundamental questions about how organisms grow, develop, and respond to changing conditions. IT supports education at multiple levels by training undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers in advanced imaging methods, while also engaging middle school and high school students in stem, through hands-on outreach programs. Together, these efforts will build a highly skilled scientific workforce and contribute to scientific discoveries. This project centers on acquiring a zeiss LSM confocal microscope to overcome limitations in spatial resolution, light sensitivity, and time-lapse imaging. The system offers advanced, high-speed multiplex imaging with exceptional sensitivity and super-resolution capability. Its airyscan 2 detector achieves up to 90 NM lateral resolution and significantly enhanced volumetric resolution, enabling detailed visualization of subcellular structures and dynamics beyond conventional confocal limits. The system?s 32-channel gaasp detector and tunable emission settings provide low-noise, high-sensitivity imaging across multiple fluorophores simultaneously, while a broad laser-line range supports flexible experimental design. High frame rates, rapid z-stack acquisition, and live-cell compatibility allow precise tracking of dynamic processes over time. Integrated automation, environmental control, and advanced analysis software further enhance reproducibility, throughput, and quantitative 3D/4D imaging, making the system highly versatile for numerous biological applications. The instrument will support three major research areas: (1) interdisciplinary studies of biomechanical forces driving epithelial tissue morphogenesis; (2) investigations of germline development and signaling pathways in plants and animals, including kinase activity and stress responses; and (3) analyses of organelle trafficking and localization in developing neurons. Using advanced live-cell imaging and quantitative analysis, the system will enable high-resolution 3D and 4D visualization of cellular structures and molecular dynamics. Collectively, these capabilities will generate new insights into developmental biology, cell signaling, and the impacts of change on biological systems, while fostering collaboration across biology, physics, and related disciplines. This project aligns with the NSF?s biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) priority areas. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.