INFRASTRUCTURE 1: CORE RESEARCH LABORATORIES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The Tuskegee University CBR/RCMI Core Facility facilitates multidisciplinary research by providing investigators with the instrumentation, facilities and technical assistance necessary to utilize Microscopy/Imaging, Flow Cytometry, Cell Culture and Molecular Biology, and Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. The Core Facility has provided service and assistance to users representing 3 academic colleges and 9 scientific disciplines. These investigators published or submitted ten (10) peer reviewed papers and presented eight (8) papers or posters in the 2007-2008 budget period. The Imaging Facility is used by the most researchers. Fluorescence microscopy, has been greatly enhanced by the addition of a Leica DM 5000B (upright microscope) coupled to the existing Q Imaging CE digital camera (operating through C Imaging Systems Simple PCI software). This system allows the visualization and digital capturing of images of specimens tagged with multiple fluorescent probes and the fusion of the multiple images into a single photograph. Additionally, a Leica DM IRE2 (inverted fluorescent microscope) equipped with a cell incubation chamber has been acquired. This system is also equipped with a similar digital photography system and will allow the visualization of live cell experiments over extended time periods. The Cell Culture and Molecular Biology laboratories accumulate the most "man hours" of use as they provide on site facilities for the investigators (and their students) working in Carver Research Laboratories. The Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Facility strives to increase participation in bioinformatics and computational biology research through the use of web based infrastructure, especially in genomics and proteomics. Toward this end, the Department of Biology has initiated two courses in Bioinformatics, Biology 0368 (undergraduate) and 0568 (graduate). In summary, during the 5 years of support for the CBR/RCMI CORE I Facility, in addition to normal maintenance of the cell culture and molecular biology facilities (incubators, centrifuges, freezers, etc.), several new instruments providing more sophisticated technologies have been added. These include: BIO-TEK SYNERGY HT microplate reader, Eppendorf Mastercycler, Cepheid Smartcycler 2, and the microscopes described above. The CORE I Facility has provided services to at least 24 investigators and their students representing a broad spectrum of scientific research. These investigators published or submitted seventeen (17) peer reviewed papers and presented thirty-five (35) papers or posters. On the whole the CORE I project has significantly enhanced the research capabilities and productivity of the Tuskegee University research faculty.