Project Grant R01NS138454

This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) federal grant program, provides $629,031 to the University of Wisconsin System to develop a novel label-free, live-cell imaging technique called Optical Cell State Imaging (OCSI). This technique uses fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to track the metabolic state of neural stem cells, allowing researchers to unbiasedly study the mechanisms and regulators underlying neural stem cell quiescence and activation. The key objectives are to: 1) identify the molecular signal associated with one of the OCSI signals, 2) determine which quiescent neural stem cell populations are targeted by current isolation methods, and 3) develop a FLIM-based cell sorting and single-cell deposition system to enable higher-throughput studies of neural stem cell activation states. Successful completion of these aims will provide a new tool to advance the understanding of neural stem cell quiescence and activation, which is critical for improving neurogenesis and cognitive function.