Annual Maintenance Service Contract: NIAMS Light Imaging Section IncuCyte S3

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s medical research agency—making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases.

Dysregulation of RNA metabolism is increasingly recognized as one feature characterizing a number of autoimmune diseases within the NIAMS portfolio, leading to the creation in of the RNA Molecular Biology Group. This program was initiated in 2014 with the appointment of a Tenure-Track Investigator (the Project Officer) and appointment as Senior Investigator in 2019. The project officer is a recognized expert in the field of posttranscriptional gene regulation (PTGR). Since its inception, the RNA Molecular Biology Group has specialized in the use of high-throughput technologies to dissect PTGR pathways controlled by RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and (non-coding) RNAs. The goal of these studies is to understand the molecular function and global gene regulatory impact of RNA binding proteins associated with a number of diseases that bear directly on the mission of NIAMS.

The mission of the NIAMS Light Imaging Section is to provide NIAMS scientists and collaborators access to state-of-the-art light imaging equipment and to offer training and assistance at all stages of the acquisition and analysis of images with various techniques of microscopy and live imaging. The two IncuCyte S3 (serial# IC50015 and IC51294) microscopes consist of a live-cell imaging system gantry that resides in the cell incubator, and a networked external controller hard drive that gathers and processes live image data. The IncuCytes allow for kinetic, non-invasive imaging of cells in culture right inside the well-controlled incubator environment.

As a result, the instrument must be maintained in the best manner possible to keep it functioning properly. In the event that the unit needs repair it is important that the unit be repaired with minimal delay. Due to the sensitivity of the multiple facets of this instrument (including objectives, detectors, mechanics of automated systems, incubation chamber, computer and software), an extended annual service contract is prudent to cover the cost of keeping this instrument running optimally. In addition, it is essential that the maintenance be done by certified qualified engineers who have access to the original parts and software.