Light Microscopy in the Undergraduat Biology Curriculum

The goal of the project is to improve the cell and molecular biology curriculum at the Department of Biology at Central Michigan University, The project will (1) develop a hands-on, instrument-based, course in microscopy; (2) improve the quality and effectiveness of laboratories in existing courses in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Methods in Molecular Biology, and Electron Microscopy for a strongly research oriented undergraduate program. The equipment requested includes high quality light microscopes equipped with optics and accessories designed with multiple applications of brightfield, phase, polarizing, DIC and epifluorescence, and a state-of-the-art image processing and analysis system. These new microscopes and one existing transmission and two scanning electron microscopes, one of which is equipped for x-ray (EDS), will interface, by film and video, with the image processor. Bench-type laboratory courses and activities which expose students to the practical use of instrumentation in real experimental situations will use this integrated imaging system.