Core Support for Vision Research

描述（由申请人提供）：哥伦比亚大学有一个庞大而充满活力的视觉研究社区，由国家眼科研究所支持，有20个合格的资助。哥伦比亚大学的视觉研究涵盖了广泛的主题，从果蝇和老鼠的视网膜和视觉大脑发育的遗传研究到眼病患者行为的流行病学研究。计算、神经生理学、光学和电子显微镜、遗传、生化和临床技术集中在一系列问题上，包括眼睛和视觉大脑的发育、眼部血管生成的机制、视觉和动眼力行为的系统神经科学、视网膜疾病（如黄斑变性）的病理生理学和治疗。为了支持这项视觉研究，我们要求建立一个国家眼科研究所支持的视觉研究核心设施，以提供个人研究经费无法提供的服务。拟议的核心将包括三个模块：仪器制造和设计模块，该模块将继承由NEI计划资助的类似模块，该模块不能续签；一个计算机支持模块，将包括异地数据备份，支持和维护数百台计算机，包括x -网格集群，用于视觉研究界，以及一个显微成像模块，将提供组织、体内和荧光显微镜服务。该核心还将促进哥伦比亚大学视觉研究社区成员之间的合作，并鼓励目前尚未从事视觉研究的科学家利用他们的专业知识解决与视觉相关的问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Columbia University has a large and vibrant vision research community supported by the National Eye Institute, with 20 qualifying grants. Vision research at Columbia ranges across a huge gamut of topics, from genetic studies of retinal and visual brain development in Drosophila and mice to epidemiological studies of the behavior of patients with eye disease. Computational, neurophysiological, light and electron microscopic, genetic, biochemical, and clinical techniques focus on a range of problems including the development of the eye and the visual brain, the mechanisms of ocular angiogenesis, the systems neuroscience of visual and oculomotor behavior, and the pathophysiology and treatment of retinal diseases such as macular degeneration. To support this vision research we are requesting the establishment of a National Eye Institute supported set of Core Facilities for Vision Research, to provide services that could not be provided by individual research grants. The proposed core will have three modules: a instrumentation fabrication and design module which will be the successor of a similar module which was funded by an NEI program which cannot be renewed; a computer support module which will include offsite data backup, support and maintenance for the hundreds of computers, including an X-grid cluster, used by the vision research community, and a microscopic imaging module which will provide histological and in vivo and fluorescent microscopy services. This core will also facilitate collaboration among members of the Columbia vision research community, and encourage scientists not currently engaged in vision research to use their expertise to solve problems related to vision.