MRI-R2 Acquisition: Establishment of a Core Facility for the Hierarchical Analysis of Bone

在国家科学基金会的支持下，以东北俄亥俄大学医药学院(NEOUCOM)为中心的骨骼生物学研究重点领域(SBRFA)将获得三台主要研究仪器：1)一台高分辨率CT扫描仪(Sanco vivaCT75µCT扫描仪)；2)一台测试骨骼和其他组织强度的机器(Instron ElectrPuls E3000万能试验机)和3)一台量化DNA表达水平的机器(应用生物系统7900HT实时聚合酶链式反应系统)。虽然SBRFA在空间和师资方面得到了NEOUCOM和俄亥俄州的大力支持，但该设备将通过建立最先进的骨和软骨生物学研究核心设施来填补重点领域的重大空白。该设备将帮助重点领域在骨骼生物学的合作和综合研究和培训方面充分发挥潜力。SBRFA相对于全国其他骨骼研究小组的独特之处在于其研究骨骼生物学的综合视角。SBRFA的研究人员研究了从分子途径到整个有机体进化的所有组织层次的骨骼和软骨。该设备最初将支持13个正在进行或处于初步阶段的骨骼研究项目。大多数项目都是协作性的，并将包含不止一种工具。事实上，SBRFA的研究人员发现了这种设备，以促进骨形态(CT扫描仪)、性能(UTM)和分子过程(RT-PCR)的综合研究。CT扫描仪将用于扫描从化石骨骼到人造手指的各种物体，这些物体已经被生物工程改造，以取代被截肢的元素。UTM将与CT扫描相结合，研究骨骼形态和强度之间的关系。最后，实时聚合酶链式反应系统将识别骨骼对负荷做出反应时发生的分子事件，以及记录骨骼发育过程中基因表达的新应用。目前对这些项目的资助跨越了NSF的四个部门，展示了重点领域的研究广度。由于SBRFA的研究人员在合作中超越了骨骼生物学的几个子领域，由该仪器推动的研究项目有可能产生跨越骨骼生物学传统学科的新发现。由这三大仪器组成的核心设施的建立将促进对SBRFA博士后研究员、研究生和本科生以及附属于SBRFA的初级教员的研究培训。该仪器将通过共享使用为跨学科研究而设计的这些设施，促进东北大西洋海洋大学的SBRFA成员及其附属机构之间的合作。此外，将通过与俄亥俄州阿克伦的奥斯汀生物创新研究所结盟来加强区域合作-这是一个由五个地区性机构(包括NEOUCOM)共同开发的项目，致力于给俄亥俄州东北部的研究、经济发展和医疗保健带来革命性的变化。研究生教育的具体好处将集中在培训学生使用多学科工具包研究科学问题。本科生的研究体验将因新的研究机会而得到提升。最后，该仪器将通过由参与的SBRFA教职员工支持的“动手”计划纳入社区推广活动，使俄亥俄州东北部的K-12学生接触到科学研究过程。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With support from the National Science Foundation, the Skeletal Biology Research Focus Area (SBRFA) centered at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) will acquire three major research instruments: 1) a high-resolution CT scanner (Scanco vivaCT75 µCT scanner); 2) a machine to test the strength of bone and other tissues (Instron ElectroPuls E3000 Universal Testing Machine) and 3) a machine to quantify DNA expression levels (Applied Biosystems 7900HT Real-Time PCR system). While the SBRFA has strong support from NEOUCOM and the state of Ohio in terms of space and faculty, the equipment will fill a major gap in the focus area by establishing state-of-the-art core facilities for studying bone and cartilage biology. The equipment will help the focus area reach its full potential in collaborative and integrative research and training in skeletal biology.The uniqueness of the SBRFA relative to other skeletal research groups throughout the country is its integrated perspective on studying skeletal biology. SBRFA researchers study bone and cartilage across all levels of organization from molecular pathways to the evolution of whole organisms. The equipment will initially support 13 projects studying bone that are either ongoing or in preliminary stages. Most projects are collaborative and will incorporate more than one instrument. In fact, SBRFA researchers identified the equipment to promote integrative studies of bone form (CT scanner), performance (UTM) and molecular processes (RT-PCR). The CT scanner will be involved in scanning objects ranging from fossil skeletons to artificial fingers that have been bioengineered to replace amputated elements. The UTM will be integrated with CT scanning in studying the relationships between bone form and strength. Finally, the real-time PCR system will identify molecular events that occur as bone responds to loading as well as novel applications documenting gene expression during skeletal development. Current funding for these projects spans four NSF divisions, demonstrating the breadth of research in the focus area. Because SBRFA researchers transcend several subfields of skeletal biology in their collaborative efforts, the research projects facilitated by the instrumentation have the potential to generate novel findings that cross traditional disciplines in skeletal biology.The establishment of core facilities with these three major pieces of instrumentation will promote research training for postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students as well as junior faculty affiliated with the SBRFA. The instrumentation will facilitate collaboration among SBRFA members at NEOUCOM and affiliated institutions through shared access to these facilities designed for cross-disciplinary research. Moreover, regional collaborations will be enhanced through alliance with the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, OH - a developing project among five regional institutions (including NEOUCOM) dedicated to revolutionizing research, economic development and healthcare in northeastern Ohio. Specific benefits to graduate education will focus on training students to research scientific questions using a multi-disciplinary toolkit. Undergraduate research experiences will be enhanced by new research opportunities. Finally, the instrumentation will be incorporated into community outreach through "hands-on" programs supported by participating SBRFA faculty that expose K-12 students in northeastern Ohio to the scientific research process.