Project Summary/Abstract The purpose and scope of this supplement is to purchase a Nikon AXR resonant scanning confocal microscope to accelerate the research of the parent R35 ESI MIRA (GM150801). The purpose of the parent R35 is to investigate the cellular mechanisms responsible for the trafficking of lipid droplets during lipophagy. In Project 1, we will determine the role of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) in remodeling the lipid composition the LD surface monolayer via triglyceride hydrolysis. In Project 2, we will investigate the role of Rab5 in recruiting PI 3-Kinases to the LD surface to phosphorylate PI, as well as define the role of ESCRT proteins in the trafficking of LDs for lipophagy. As these studies rely heavily on fluorescence microscopy, the acquisition of a high-resolution confocal microscope will greatly enhance our ability to visualize these small subcellular organelles and accomplish the goals of this award.