Core Grant for Vision Research

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SUMMARY/ABSTRACT - OVERALL Continued support is sought for the Core Grant for Vision Research at the University of Michigan. Support for five Modules is requested: 1) an Electronics and Computer Module for designing and constructing novel electronic equipment, providing assistance with research computers and their interfaces with laboratory instruments, and repairing existing electronic equipment, staffed by an electronics engineer; 2) a Functional Assessment Module for the imaging of ocular structures and the evaluation of ocular function in living laboratory animals, staffed by a technician; 3) an Instrument Shop Module for designing and constructing mechanical instrumentation and modifying or repairing existing instrumentation, staffed by an instrument maker; 4) a Molecular Biology Module for providing access to instrumentation necessary for molecular biology as well assistance with the analysis of microarray and bioinformatics data, staffed by a statistical geneticist; and 5) a Morphology and Imaging Module for providing access to state-of-the-art equipment and expert personnel for ocular tissue processing, microscopy (light, wide-field fluorescence, and confocal), and image analysis, staffed by a technician. The specific aims of the Vision Research Core 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 on the visual system. The 31 participating investigators currently hold 11 NEI R01 grants as well as 2 NEI K08 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 Vision Research Core is housed within the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, a 300,000 sq. ft. building complex containing space dedicated to each of the modules, plus state-of-the-art facilities for basic and clinical research. The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the University of Michigan provide substantial additional resources that support the shared goal of fostering vision research.