Leica Vibrating Blade Microtome or Equal

Leica Vibrating Blade Microtome or Equal

The purpose of this acquisition is for the Cellular Neurophysiology Section to purchase a vibrating blade microtome microscope system that will allow the examination of the mechanisms of synaptic integration and dendritic information in dopamine neurons located in the midbrain.

Our lab studies the neural mechanisms that underlie reward-based behaviors and reinforcement learning. Dopamine-releasing neurons in the midbrain play a critical role in these behaviors. In addicted animals, the dopamine system is "hijacked" by drugs of abuse that increase brain dopamine levels through direct or indirect actions on dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, the selective loss of subsets of dopaminergic neurons leads to the severe motor deficits observed in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Our studies examine the physiological properties of dopamine neurons that a vulnerable and resilient to cell death in Parkinson’s Disease. In particular, our laboratory is interested in understanding how electrical activity of vulnerable and resilient dopamine system neurons is generated mechanistically and how this activity ultimately contributes to dopamine-dependent behaviors. We study (1) how ion channels, proteins that conduct ions across the cell membrane of dopamine neurons, and (2) how ligand gated receptors enable this electrical activity along with circuit connections that shape their activity during behavior. These studies have led to the identification of circuit, synaptic and intrinsic characteristics that differ between calbindin positive resilient dopamine neuron subpopulations and Aldh1a1 positive dopamine neurons that are vulnerable to cell death. We hope that these studies will advance our knowledge of functional diversity among dopamine neuron subpopulations and the mechanisms of selective vulnerability among neurons in the brains of patients inflicted with Parkinson’s Disease.

To study these questions, we cut tissue slices prepared from different animal models. The tissue slices allow us is to perform precise investigations of the excitability of different neurons within the dopamine system.

The acquisition is to purchase:

A vibrating blade microtome tissue slicer.

Contractor shall provide the following components:

-           Tissue slicer

-           Control panel

-           Tool set: Allen key with handle, size 3. Allen key with handle, size 6. Cryomanipulator. 2 futes t 1A

-           Cyanacrylate glue

-           Dust cover, small

-           Ice tray

-           Buffer tray, metal: buffer tray, lid, specimen disc, tube clamp

-           Blade holder

-           IFU-bundle leica VT1200S

-           CD including available languages

-           Short manual

-           Power cord