Sheep Request for Baker Ruskinn SCI-tive Hypoxia Workstation

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We are requesting funds through the Shared Equipment Evaluation Program (ShEEP) under the Research Equipment Management program offered by the Office of Research and Development to acquire a Baker Ruskinn SCI-tive Dual Asymmetrical Hypoxia Workstation. This workstation supports in vitro experiments with precise control of oxygen concentration ranging from 0.1% (anoxia) to 20.9% (ambient) in 0.1% increments. This allows researchers to grow cells in physiologically relevant conditions, which differ between tissue types. Additionally, this workstation can be used to create in vitro models of hypoxia (low oxygen) or anoxia (no oxygen) in various tissue types. This is critical for the study of heart disease, stroke, and limb ischemia, all of which affect the Veteran patient population. We are requesting a dual workstation, which will allow us to maintain two independently controlled atmospheres simultaneously. Each workstation environment is large enough to work in comfortably, so that entire experiments can be conducted in the controlled environment without being influenced by temporary exposure to room air. This system also includes an inverted microscope to monitor cells under these controlled conditions without removing them from the controlled environment. Currently, this technology is not available at the Minneapolis VAHCS, nor does our facility have any other equipment with equivalent capabilities. The requested equipment will be housed in a shared dedicated instrument room within the Minneapolis VAHCS Research Wing within the main hospital building, and will be made available to VA investigators as common service equipment. The requested hypoxia workstation will compliment an existing inventory of multiuser based instruments with the end goal of increasing efficiency and resources while fostering translational (bench-top to bed-side) research. Dr. Edward McFalls will oversee the training and usage of the equipment under the full support of Minneapolis VAHCS Director (Mr. Darwin Goodspeed) and the Research & Development Committee Chair (Dr. Ronald Bach). The fields of interest of major and minor user groups for this equipment span multiple VA research disciplines, and collectively represent both basic and translational research in areas such as aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neuroscience, stem cell therapies, Gulf War Illness, and obesity. The identified VA funded major users will account for at least 75% of the instrument capacity. The minor users group will occupy 25% or less of the instrument capacity. If the Minneapolis VAHCS is to remain one of the largest and most active research programs in the VA system, it is critical for our investigators to gain access to high-quality, robust instruments that represent the gold-standard in the field. The acquisition of the SCI-tive Hypoxia Workstation would accelerate and enhance the rate in which researchers from multiple disciplines can acquire, analyze, display, and understand data, with the long-term goal of benefiting the unique health care needs of US Veterans. We are confident that acquisition of this equipment will enhance and extend the clinical relevance of ongoing investigations in our facility and will generate new collaborative efforts to develop treatments or therapies for diseases relevant to the health care needs of Veterans and to the general public.