Core Center for Vision Research

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Continued support is sought for the Core Center for Vision Research at the University of Michigan. Support for five modules is requested: 1) an Instrument Shop Module for designing and constructing mechanical instrumentation, staffed by an instrument maker; 2) an Electronics and Computer Module for designing and constructing electronics equipment and assistance with research computers, staffed by an electronics engineer; 3) a Morphology and Imaging Module for the processing of ocular tissue for light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, as well as the production of research photographs and digital images, staffed by a technician; 4) a Vivarium Module for the housing and care of laboratory animals used in vision research, staffed by a veterinary technician; and 5) a Microarray and Molecular Biology Module for providing investigators access to instrumentation and services necessary for molecular biology and the processing and scanning of commercial gene chips and custom microarray slides for the investigation of gene expression in ocular tissues, staffed by a technician. The specific aims of the Core Center for Vision Research at the University of Michigan are to enhance the research environment for vision scientists, facilitate collaborative studies of the visual system and its diseases, and expand vision research on this campus to bring the skills and perspectives of non-vision scientists to bear upon research issues of the visual system. The 18 participating investigators currently hold 19 NEI grants. The research interests of these investigators are diverse and include electrophysiology, neurobiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular genetics, developmental biology, biostatistics, immunology, and clinical ophthalmology. The Core Center is housed within the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, a 120,000 sq. ft. building containing space dedicated to each of the modules, plus state-of-the-art facilities for basic and clinical research.