# Olympus FV3000 Confocal Microscope for the Biology and Biochemistry Imaging Core Facility at the University of Houston

> **NIH NIH S10** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2020 · $359,451

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
We are requesting an Olympus FV3000 laser-scanning inverted confocal microscope for the Biology and
Biochemistry Imaging Core (BBIC) at the University of Houston. Our current FV1000 system is over 15 years
old, and should critical parts fail there are no replacements available, as Olympus no longer supports this
model. It is functionally obsolete, and cannot be upgraded to meet our researchers' needs. Further, the
Olympus FV3000 would offer our research community a more dependable instrument with the latest advances
in confocal technology, including live stage imaging, multiple laser lines, spectral detection, and extended
depth of focus, which is critical to several NIH funded research projects that utilize the BBIC. This confocal
system with proper accessories is a powerful and versatile instrument that can serve a wide range of research
needs and produce large amounts of high-quality data. The capacity to produce detailed, high-resolution
images in three dimensions, distinguish between multiple fluorescent labels and stitch together multiple fields
of view will be an indispensable component for a proposed Pathology Core in the Department of Biomedical
Engineering to accurately record the cyto-architecture and gene expression status of healthy and diseased
tissue specimens. A high speed resonance scanner combined with a stage top incubation system will allow for
kinetic imaging of living cells, tissue explants, and small organisms in a minimally disruptive manner. The
Olympus system also offers unique objectives that enable deep penetration into living tissue and minimize
distortion along the Z-axis. This will enable more focused studies into the effects of drugs, the interaction of
pathogens with host cells, cellular response to injury, and the differences in the retinal development process
between wild type and mutant precursor cells. Software functions that allow for marking and tracking of
objects, and targeted photobleaching will allow our clients great flexibility in experimental design. The quality of
data that can be produced by a confocal microscope is now an expected standard for journal and grant
submissions. NIH funded researchers that comprise the major users in this proposal pursue research projects
spanning cancer biology, development and regeneration, and physiology and disease states. Thus, the
proposed FV3000 system will have a significant impact on a wide range of projects relevant to human health
by providing convenient access to enabling technology that is not currently available at the BBIC. Moreover,
UH researchers have extensive collaborations with researchers in the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Through
these collaborations and the availability of the FV3000 System, we will enhance ongoing partnerships and
build new ones as well as provide a critical service to the TMC community.
!

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9940120
- **Project number:** 1S10OD026827-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** ARNE C LEKVEN
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $359,451
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-15 → 2021-06-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9940120

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9940120, Olympus FV3000 Confocal Microscope for the Biology and Biochemistry Imaging Core Facility at the University of Houston (1S10OD026827-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9940120. Licensed CC0.

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