# Morphogenesis: Biophysics and Genetics of Dorsal Closure

> **NIH NIH R35** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $148,970

## Abstract

We request an NIGMS Administrative Supplement for Equipment (NOT-GM-24-021/PA-20-
272) for R35GM127059, our MIRA entitled “Morphogenesis: Biophysics and Genetics of Dorsal
Closure”. This equipment supplement will provide funds to replace selected, outdated
components of the 22 year old Zeiss AxioImager.M2m UV surgical confocaling microscope
system that is the mainstay of our biophysical investigation of embryo development and
contributes to time-lapsed analysis of dorsal closure mutations discovered through forward
genetic screens.
The new components that we seek to acquire using funds from our parent MIRA, from Duke
Institutional resources and from this requested supplement are as follows.
 · A state of the art, confocaling head that can capture a wider field of view and with higher
 resolution than our current system, which, because of old technology does not
 adequately record images at full resolution (to be funded by this requested Supplement).
 · An ORCA-Quest 2 low noise camera that has a large (4096 x 2304 pixel) qCMOS
 imaging sensor, allows high frequency imaging and has increased resolution due to small
 pixel size (to be funded by our parent MIRA).
 · Two new, high NA objectives for biophysical surgical experiments and time-lapsed
 analysis of development that are optimized for thicker biological specimen (e.g. embryos,
 to be funded by Duke Institutional resources).
 · A TriggerScope digital control box that interfaces the lasers and the acquisition software
 to allow for high-speed triggering of the lasers and synchronization of the lasers with the
 camera exposures (to be funded by our Parent MIRA).
 · A Windows 11 based computer to control the system hardware, run the image acquisition
 software, handle large file sizes and enable compliance with institutional security
 requirements (to be funded by our Parent MIRA).
These components will modernize and expand our current imaging capabilities that are
currently, “throwing data” away. The upgraded system will provide increased resolution and
field of view and in combination with our existing computer steered laser UV microbeam for
laser microsurgery, will offer new insight in the mechanisms of cell sheet morphogenesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11096093
- **Project number:** 3R35GM127059-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL PETER KIEHART
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $148,970
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11096093

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11096093, Morphogenesis: Biophysics and Genetics of Dorsal Closure (3R35GM127059-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11096093. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*