Illinois State University has received a federal grant to install a new microscope lab.
University officials say ISU scientists will use the facility to further study genetics, cell biology, development, neuroscience, and plant science.
They say the $661,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will benefit the entire region.
The lab will be open to scientists from outside the university.
“This will be a significant new resource for Central Illinois and beyond,” said Associate Professor of Genetics Kevin Edwards, the principal investigator of the grant. “It will produce 3D reconstructions of complex tissues like nervous system and muscle, and time-lapse videos of processes such as embryo development and wound repair.”
Scientists at Illinois Wesleyan University, the Millenium Pain Center in Bloomington and the USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria all contributed research ideas to the project.
ISU officials say the facility will enable scientists to study the building blocks of cells and the organization of tissues with exceptional clarity and detail.
The lab will be set up at ISU’s Science Lab building this fall.
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