Integrated Epithelial and Mucosal Biology

总体中心描述（由申请人提供）： 哈佛消化疾病中心（HDDC）是一个由60名独立研究人员组成的联盟。22名接近独立的准成员和200多名受训人员也参加了HDDC的活动。该中心的科学重点是胃肠道上皮及其与管腔中微生物植物群的相互作用，以及与粘膜中的免疫活性和支持细胞类型的相互作用。我们的标题“综合上皮和粘液生物学”描述了这一重点。我们的目标是通过在哈佛附属医院、哈佛医学院和朗伍德医学区的相邻研究机构中培养独立研究人员之间的密切科学和知识关系，促进该领域的多学科研究。韦恩伦瑟博士（PI）和理查德布隆伯格（共同PI）将指导该中心。他们是哈佛两所主要教学医院的儿科和成人胃肠科的科学同事和主任。这两个国家卫生研究院直接资助的培训项目。董事和执行委员会提供领导与巨大的科学深度和承诺消化系统疾病相关的研究。三个科学核心通过提供服务、材料、设备和专业知识来加强这一努力。成像核心B提供活细胞和固定细胞和组织的免疫荧光、电子显微镜、共聚焦和去卷积显微镜的资源。上皮细胞生物学核心C为极化上皮细胞单层提供细胞培养和基因交易服务，并在上皮细胞生物学的各个方面提供帮助，包括电生理学，微荧光测定法以及信号转导和膜动力学的分子方法。一个新的蛋白质组学核心D提供服务，蛋白质鉴定，定量和表征的2D PAGE，亲和标签，和质谱。HDDC丰富计划包括年度区域会议“粘液免疫学前沿”，以及每年两次科学研讨会。微型研修班方案支持HDDC成员前往其他机构学习新技术。HDDC试点可行性补助金计划获得了高度订阅和资助，达到了允许的最高水平;在过去10年中，49名获奖者中，几乎所有人都继续进行消化系统疾病相关研究。一个创新的种子资助计划计划，以促进建立HDDC研究人员之间的新的合作项目，并计划生物统计资源，以支持转化和基础科学。通过会员基础，科学核心，资助计划和丰富机会的知识丰富性，HDDC继续支持初级研究人员的培训，并吸引来自其他领域的成熟研究人员，推进与消化系统疾病相关的广泛研究领域。

DESCRIPTION OF OVERALL CENTER (provided by applicant): The Harvard Digestive Diseases Center (HDDC) is a consortium of 60 independent investigators. 22 Associate Members approaching independence and over 200 trainees also participate in HDDC activities. The scientific focus of the Center is the epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract and its interactions with the microbial flora in the lumen, and with immunocompetent and supporting cell types in the mucosa. Our title "Integrated Epithelial and Mucosal Biology" describes this focus. Our goal is to facilitate multidisciplinary research in the field by fostering close scientific and intellectual relationships among independent investigators in Harvard-affiliated hospitals, the Harvard Medical School and adjacent research institutions in the Longwood Medical Area. Drs. Wayne Lencer (PI) and Richard Blumberg (Co-PI) will direct the Center. They are scientific colleagues and Division Chiefs of Pediatric and Adult Gl at two major Harvard teaching hospitals. Both direct NIH funded training programs. The Directors and Executive Committee provide leadership with tremendous scientific depth and commitment to digestive diseases related research. Three scientific cores enhance this effort by providing services, materials, equipment, and expertise. The Imaging Core B provides resources in immunofluorecence, electron microscopy, confocal, and deconvolution microscopy of living and fixed cells and tissues. The Epithelial Cell Biology Core C provides cell culture and gene transaction services unique to polarized epithelial cell monolayers, and assistance in all aspects of epithelial cell biology including electrophysiology, microflorimetry, and molecular approaches to signal transduction and membrane dynamics. A new Proteomics Core D provides service in protein identification, quantitation and characterization by 2D PAGE, affinity tags, and mass spectrometry. The HDDC enrichment program includes an annual regional conference "Frontiers in Mucosal Immunology", as well as two scientific symposia each year. The minisabbatical program supports travel of HDDC members to other institutions to learn new techniques. The HDDC pilot-feasibility grant program is highly subscribed and funded to the maximum level allowed; of 49 awardees in the past 10 years, almost all continue in digestive diseases related research. An innovative seed grant program is planned to foster new collaborative projects among established HDDC investigators, and a biostatistics resource is planned to support translational and basic science. Through the intellectual richness of the membership base, scientific cores, grant programs and enrichment opportunities, the HDDC continues to support the training of junior investigators and to attract established investigators from other fields, advancing broad areas of research relevant to digestive diseases.