Biology Professors Awarded NSF Grant for Research Equipment

State-of-the-art biological instrumentation will soon be added to The University of Scranton's science laboratories, which are already recognized among best facilities in America, courtesy of a half-million-dollar plus National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

University biology professors were awarded a $551,957 NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant for the purchase an Olympus FV4000 Confocal Microscope System that will be used to enhance teaching and cutting-edge research in multiple biological fields for undergraduate and graduate students.

Ashley Driver, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, is the principal investigator for the grant. Her colleagues in the University's Biology Department are co-principal investigators: Marc Seid, Ph.D., professor of biology; Jong-Hyun Son, Ph.D., associate professor of biology; and Joseph Brague, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology.

"The confocal microscope system will allow for higher resolution and more rapid imaging of cells and tissues, as well as time-lapse imaging, and controlled-culture conditions that will support multiple research programs investigating questions in cellular biology, neurobiology, microbiology, molecular biology, parasitology and physiology," said Dr. Driver, who noted the instrument will be integrated into multiple upper-level biology courses to enhance research experiences to undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields.

"The use of this equipment by our students in their coursework and research projects will give them advanced microscopy experience at the undergraduate level," said Dr. Driver. "It will make our students competitive for top-tiered graduate programs, as well as positioning them well for industry research positions."

Dr. Driver said the microscope system's efficiency in image acquisition and analysis of multiple sample types will broaden the access for students to learn directly from their experiments conducted in lab courses.

"We chose the system that was most amenable for student use in order to allow them hands-on experience in obtaining meaningful information for their course laboratory experiments, as well as in their independent research projects," said Dr. Driver. "We are training students, our future scientists, to be drivers of research. This instrumentation system will further enhance their learning experience at Scranton."

According to Dr. Driver, the microscope system will also be accessible to faculty members at other universities in the Scranton area who lack access to this type of equipment. The instrument will also be incorporated into workshops and summer research programs for high school students.

Dr. Driver joined the University in 2020. She received a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Brague joined the faculty at Scranton in 2022. He received a bachelor's degree from The University of Scranton and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University. Dr. Seid joined the faculty at the University in 2010. He received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. from Boston University. Dr. Son joined the faculty at Scranton in 2017. He received a bachelor's degree from Dankook University, a master's degree from Western Illinois University, and a Ph.D. from Texas A and M University of the Health Sciences.

The Olympus FV4000 Confocal Microscope System is expected to be installed later this semester.