INSTRUMENTAL SKILLS

Gabriella Palermo, a graduate student in the molecular, cellular and biotechnology master’s program, uses a NIKON A1R-HD confocal microscope in the University Instrumentation Center.

The microscope gives researchers the ability to image deep into tissues and create high resolution 3D reconstructions. Since it was purchased in 2018, groups in 33 research labs have been trained to use it in research ranging from coastal wetland ecology and entomology to neuroscience, cancer and immunology. Laboratory and instrument training supplies highly attractive skill sets for students seeking employment in the biotechnology sector.

Funds for the microscope were provided by UNH’s Center of Integrated Biomedical and Bioengineering Research (CIBBR), which was launched in 2017 to accelerate the translation of the university’s basic biomedical and bioengineering research into innovative tools and treatments that improve human health. To date, CIBBR has invested $1.9 million to support the acquisition of 20 advanced research instruments.

CIBBR is funded by a five-year, $9.6 million Center of Biomedical Research Excellence grant from the National Institutes of Health.