Addition of Digital Image Analysis Capabilities to theDepartment of Biology's Computerized Instrument Facility: We (Drs. A. Farone, M.G. Irving, A. Mills, A. Newsome, W. Rosing, K. Walters, M. Wells, S. Wright, J. Zamora) are proposing to add 2 advance dinstructional microscopes with video take-off and digital cameras controlled by a workstation computer running requisite digital image analysis software to the Department of Biology's evolving Computerized Instrument Facility(CIF). CIF Phase II software will include a comprehensive digital image analysis package and additional image processing and presentations programs. The digital image analysis system will be linked to the CIF Laboratory Instrument Management System (purchased with 1998 TAF funds) to facilitate data storage and tracking. Digital image analysis technology is essential in the field of biology today because presentations of visual data can no longer be achieved solely through optical means. Post-processing, analysis and automatic interpretation
are crucial to maximizing the information generated from optical images. The proposed computer/equipment/software purchases are envisioned as the next phase (Phase II) in the development of a comprehensive, flexible instrument facility for students and faculty. Phase II purchases will enable the capture, analysis and presentation of complex digital images in numerous classes, labs and research projects. Additionally Phase II will enable development of new courses in
biological image analysis and incorporation of advanced image analysis techniques into existing courses. The CIF, including Phase II proposed additions, is part of MTSU's Network Neighborhood enabling communication with Biology Department classrooms and teaching/research labs (>50 workstations). Students will be able to access, view and analyze images directly in the CIF or remotely in departmental and University computer labs across campus. The equipment requested will find immediate use in the following established courses: Aquatic
Ecology (10 students/2 yr.), Biotechnology (30 students/yr.), Cell & Molecular Biology (80 students/yr.), Advanced Cell & Molecular Biology (10 students/yr.), Entomology (10 students/yr.), General & Advanced Virology (24 students/yr.), Histology (40 students/yr.), Immunology (70students/yr.), Invertebrate Zoology (8 students/yr.), Marine Biology (10 students/yr.), Mycology & Advanced Mycology (10 students/yr.), Neurobiology (24 students/yr.), Parasitology (36 students/yr.), Toxicology (10 students/yr.) and in both undergraduate (ca. 12 students/yr.) and
graduate (ca. 30 students/yr.) research projects. The estimated total number of students affected by the current proposal: >200 semester.
