CORE-- Imaging and Cytometry Facilities Core

描述(由申请人提供)：成像和细胞学设施核心(ICFC)的使命是支持EHS中心成员已建立的、经同行审查的、由EHS中心成员资助的研究计划，方法是提供显微镜和流式细胞术方面的现代技术、仪器和服务，而个人研究人员几乎不需要或不需要支付任何费用。ICFC通过提供必要的仪器、培训和专业知识来提高中心成员的研究效率，从而成功地将显微镜、流式细胞仪和成像技术应用到他们的个人和合作研究项目中。在过去的供资期间，利用中心服务和设施的30名调查员发表了83份手稿，并获得了29笔赠款(新的和续期的)的资金，另有3笔待批，使用了利用中心使用产生的数据。获得这些技术对于进行环境、细胞和分子毒理学研究，特别是信号转导方面的研究至关重要。ICFC在以下领域促进了多学科的合作研究 异种生物对多种细胞/器官系统的影响，重金属对细胞功能和信号的影响，异种代谢酶基因表达的调节，对毒性损伤的DNA修复，细胞信号通路的调节，细胞对氧化应激的反应，以及T细胞表型与哮喘易感性的关系。ICFC将吸引新的用户和中心的新成员。自上次竞争性续签以来，已有16名新用户使用了ICFC的服务/设施，他们都是中心成员。ICFC通过提供调查人员只需要很少的初始时间或金钱投入的服务，促进了对调查人员个人和合作研究计划的新方法的引入。ICFC提供了个人调查人员无法获得的技术和仪器，并努力引入新技术，以满足中心调查人员的需求。先进的设备由专家核心人员维护和操作，他们为使用该设施的EHS中心成员提供服务、指导和培训。研究人员可以接受有关光学显微镜、共聚焦显微镜、荧光显微镜、免疫细胞化学、流式细胞术和细胞分选以及彗星分析的实践培训。 ICFC还维护用于样品分析(例如，分光光度计、荧光计、发光计、安捷伦生物分析仪)和数据采集(例如，凝胶记录系统、胶片显影剂、扫描激光密度计)的设备和仪器。ICFC的目标是在个人调查员通常无法获得的功能性多用户环境中获得和维持这些工具和服务。

Description (provided by applicant): The mission of the Imaging and Cytometry Facility Core (ICFC) is to support established, peer-reviewed, funded research programs of EHS Center members by providing access to contemporary technology, instrumentation, and services in microscopy and flow cytometry at little or no cost to individual investigators. The ICFC enhances the research productivity of Center members by providing the instrumentation, training, and expertise necessary to successfully adopt microscopic, flow cytometric, and imaging techniques into both their individual and collaborative research programs. During the past funding period, the 30 investigators utilizing ICFC services and facilities have published 83 manuscripts and received funding for 29 grants (new and renewal), with another 3 pending, utilizing data generated through ICFC use. Access to these technologies is essential for pursuing studies in environmental, cellular, and molecular toxicology, especially those in signal transduction. The ICFC has fostered multi-disciplinary collaborative research in the areas of xenobiotic effects on a variety of cell/organ systems, the effects of heavy metals on cell function and signalling, the regulation of xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme gene expression, DNA repair in response to toxic insult, regulation of cellular signalling pathways, cellular responses to oxidative stress, and T-cell phenotype association with asthma susceptibility. The ICFC are to attract new users and new Center members. Since the last competitive renewal, 16 new users, all Center members, have utilized the ICFC services/facilities. The ICFC facilitates the introduction of new approaches to investigators' individual and collaborative research programs through the provision of services requiring little initial input of time or money on the part of the investigator. The ICFC provides access to technologies and instrumentation that would otherwise be unavailable to individual investigators, and strives to introduce new technologies in response to the Center investigator needs. Advanced equipment is maintained and operated by expert core personnel, who provide service, guidance, and training to EHS Center members using the facility. Investigators can receive hands-on training in light, confocal, and fluorescent microscopy, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry and cell sorting, and the comet assay. The ICFC also maintains equipment and instrumentation for sample analysis (e.g., spectrophotometers, fluorometer, luminometer, Agilent Bioanalyzer) and data acquisition (e.g., gel documentation system, film developer, scanning laser densitometer). The goal of the ICFC is to acquire and maintain these instruments and services in a functional multi-user environment normally unavailable to individual investigators.