MarkI 68A Cesium-137 Gamma Irradiator

说明（由申请人提供）：申请资金用于购买一台Mark I铯137伽马辐照器，该辐照器设计用于小鼠全身辐照，这是格鲁吉亚大学所缺乏的能力。需要该仪器的主要研究应用包括1）在移植之前消融宿主骨髓以产生骨髓嵌合小鼠，2）照射抗原呈递细胞以用于T细胞活化和发育的研究，以及3）提供用于有效生长和分离克氏锥虫寄生虫的环境。主要用户组包括10个NIH资助的研究人员从四个部门在UGA。唯一的辐照器目前可用于UGA调查是通过应用同位素研究中心提供的伽马细胞200辐照器，由于其年龄和日益增加的不可靠性，需要更换单元，以满足UGA越来越多的免疫学家的需求。此外，该仪器不适合用于辐照活体动物进行免疫学研究。获得拟议的辐照器将提供新的能力，使研究人员能够解决复杂的免疫学和细胞生物学研究问题。购买该仪器将直接受益的具体研究领域包括：T和B细胞的发育和在感染性和自身免疫性疾病中的功能，抗原呈递和疫苗开发，以及T细胞的细胞生物学。克氏锥虫病的病原体。因此，该仪器将有助于实现研究目标，并维持NIH对生物医学研究的支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Funds are requested for the purchase of a Mark I Cesium 137 gamma irradiator designed for whole body irradiation of mice, a capability that is lacking at the University of Georgia. Major research applications that require this instrument include 1) ablation of host bone marrow prior to transplantation for generating bone marrow chimeric mice, 2) irradiation of antigen presenting cells for use in studies of T cell activation and development, and 3) providing an environment for efficient growth and isolation of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. The major users group comprises 10 NIH-funded researchers from four Departments at UGA. The only irradiator currently available to UGA investigators is a Gamma Cell 200 irradiator provided through the Center for Applied Isotope Studies and, due to its age and increasing unreliability, is in need of a replacement unit that can meet the needs of the growing number of immunologists at UGA. In addition, that instrument is not appropriate for irradiating live animals for immunological research. Acquisition of the proposed irradiator will provide new capabilities that will allow investigators to address complex immunological and cell biological research problems. Specific lines of investigation that will directly benefit from the purchase of the instrument include: T and B cell development and functions in infectious and autoimmune disease settings, antigen presentation and vaccine development, and the cell biology of T. cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' Disease. The instrumentation will therefore facilitate the realization of research goals and maintenance of NIH support for biomedical research.