‘This will help us’: New imaging equipment enhances cancer research at TTUSHC
Pharmacy researcher receives CPRIT Grant for cancer research equipment
AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Today was the first day of training for some faculty members at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy after receiving a revolutionary imaging equipment.
The Leica super resolution microscope, which can basically look at living cells at a very high resolution.
“This will help us to explore what new treatment, new drugs can do to cells,” said Ulrich, Bickel, M.D, associate Dean of sciences and professor, TTUHSC- Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy. “This will advance our research capability enormously, because this wasn’t possible until very recently.”
The microscope is one of only two such instruments currently in the country, and it also allows researchers to look at details as small as 50 nanometers or below, which is about half the size of the coronavirus.
“Large portion of any biological research, including cancer research, neurobiology has focused on understanding the smaller details in the larger overall picture,” said Ryan Robinson, application specialist for confcocal at Leica.
The purchase of this and two other pieces of equipment was made possible by a $2.8 million for Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).
The second instrument allows researchers to look at living cells for longer periods of time without damaging them and the third one is a new way to look into live animals’ organs at high resolution and in a non-invasive manner.
Because of the uniqueness of the equipment, researchers expect more projects in the coming years with scientists from other universities.
The other two instruments will be installed and put to use in the coming months.
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