Project Summary /Abstract A multimode plate reader capable of live cell imaging would have a significant impact on the biomedical research and educational community in the western and southern regions of Puerto Rico. Four institutions would benefit from the acquisition of this technology, including the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, a resource-limited institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs in biology, chemistry, and engineering. Among the major and minor users, there are a total of four junior faculty members, and six different biomedical-related science departments across the four institutions. The requested instrument is a Cytation 5 Imaging Multi- mode Plate Reader, which includes a temperature/gas-controlled microscopic imaging reader, multi-function capabilities for absorbance/fluorescence/luminescence readings, a plate stacker, and an automated incubator. It is equipped with automated digital wide field microscopy and the ability to link various detection modalities, imaging, and data analysis technologies into a compact, user-friendly unit. This reader enables researchers to capture high-quality live cell images, including 3D cultures, in real-time and various formats, offering advantages over traditional plate- readers or microscopes. Acquiring this equipment would not only benefit the project team but also other potential future users by allowing the capture of rich phenotypic information and meaningful quantitative data on a single platform. This technology is crucial for establishing standard operating procedures for high-throughput screening of bioactive compounds. Its utilization would significantly advance research in understanding mechanisms and identifying new targets and treatments for various diseases, while also contributing to the training of the next generation of scientists. This proposal outlines how the requested equipment would be utilized to further research in these areas and emphasizes the commitment of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez to oversee the administration and management of the instrument for the project team and campus, ensuring its maintenance throughout its lifetime.

Narrative: Several investigators from the Departments of Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, and Material Science with biomedical science applications in western and southern Puerto Rico are seeking funding to acquire a Cytation 5 Imaging Multi-Mode Reader. This instrument would provide combined image reading and absorbance/fluorescence/luminescence reading capabilities, enabling research that is currently unsupported by existing equipment. The acquisition of this instrument would allow for time-sensitive and more complex screening assays to analyze biochemical and cell-based activities in 96 or 384 well plates. Additionally, it would facilitate high- throughput image-based analysis of live cells in real-time, leading to faster progress toward our project goals. The Cytation 5 Imaging Multi-Mode Reader would greatly enhance our ability to perform advanced research, expanding the scope of our investigations and enabling us to gather critical data that was previously inaccessible. With its versatile capabilities, we anticipate significant advancements in our understanding of biomedical science and accelerated progress in achieving our research objectives.