Center on Molecular and Cell Biology of Drug Abuse

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Basic Research Center on Molecular and Cell Biology of Drug Abuse (BRCMCDA) was established in 1998 with the objectives to (1) to foster interdisciplinary approaches in drug addiction research; (2) to serve as an "activity" center to coordinate and to promote all academic and scholarly activities on drug addiction research at University of Minnesota; (3) to serve as a national resource for molecular and cell biology of drug addiction research: and (4) to serve as training center for young scientists here at University of Minnesota. The goal of the Center is to promote molecular and cell biology approaches for drug addiction research, hence a thematic program is absent in the 8 scientific components. Instead, multidisciplinary approaches in the programs present fertile ground for training and interaction among scientists. The Center's activities include sponsored seminars and biannual symposium focus on the state-of-the-art techniques and breakthroughs in the field of drug addiction research. The Center has continued to raise the visibility of drug addiction research at University of Minnesota and has served as national resources in supplying investigators nationally and internationally reagents and genetically altered mice for their research programs. We wish to build on the past success and continue the missions of BRCMCBDA in promoting drug addiction research and training at University of Minnesota. Thus the proposed structure of BRCMCBDA remains to consist of 8 scientific components supported by an administrative core. The principal investigators involved in these components have demonstrated records of past collaboration and are committed to the mission of the Center. However, in order to establish a formal recruiting mechanism, a "seed grants" program will be implemented to create an opportunity for investigators not associated with the Center to test their hypotheses or new techniques in drug addiction research. Such program not only will enhance the existing research programs within the Center, but also will establish the bases for future components of the Center and grants application in drug addiction research. Hence, together with the other programs of the Center, BRCMCBDA will continue to be a research training center and national resource on the understanding of the molecular mechanism of drug addiction.