The Central Virginia Center on Drug Abuse Research

描述(由申请人提供)：该中心的总体目标是提供分子、遗传、化学和分析知识和专业知识，以创造新的和加强本大学和邻近大学以前资助的药物滥用研究。这些核心将提供最新和创新的专门知识，这与以前资助的研究中使用的方法有些不同。这将导致新的合作研究，并以几年前无法想象的方式加强以前资助的研究。在合成和分析化学、遗传学、基因工程改变的小鼠/病毒载体和受体功能方面的核心将为受资助的研究人员提供机会，以非常有创意的方式扩大他们的工作范围，转化知识。化学、遗传学和分析核心的纳入将填补我们许多研究项目中的一个重大空白。继续为转基因小鼠提供适当的基因分型等能力，以及纳入病毒载体技术的专业知识，被视为该中心的主要资产。能够让合作者解释被发现改变行为或对药物渴望的物质的受体功能变化，为新的和创造性的研究提供了氛围。不同机构的科学家之间的这种合作是罕见的，如果真的能够建立合作，将需要数月或数年的时间。在这个中心，这种类型的协作将成为常态。我们致力于提供相当大的机构支持，如使用最新的成像中心和由大学建立的法医毒理学实验室。我们将与试点项目计划的美元对美元相匹配，并提供超出所要求的适度数额的行政支持。这些核心也将被NlDA资助的弗吉尼亚大学和乔治梅森大学的调查人员使用。汉普顿大学相对较新的药学院的学者们表示，在建立他们的研究计划时，他们对这些核心的利用感兴趣(院长的信)。我们还将与全国各地的科学家分享该中心的方方面面。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall aim of this Center is to provide molecular, genetic, chemical and analytical knowledge and expertise to create new and enhance previously funded drug abuse research at this and neighboring universities. These Cores will provide up-to-date and innovative expertise that is somewhat oblique to the methodologies used in previously funded research. This will result in new collaborative research and enhance previously funded research in ways that could not have been contemplated just a few years ago. Cores in synthetic and analytical chemistry, genetics, genetically engineered altered mice/viral vectors, and receptor function will provide the opportunity for funded researchers to broaden the scope of their work to transform knowledge in very creative ways. The inclusion of chemistry, genetics and analytical Cores will fill a major void in our many research projects. The ability to continue to provide genetically altered mice with appropriate genotyping, etc., and the inclusion of expertise in viral vector technology are seen as major assets of this Center. Being able to have a collaborator elucidate receptor function changes for a substance found to alter behavior or craving for a drug provides the atmosphere for new and creative research. This type of collaboration among scientists at different institutions is rare and would take many months or years if in fact collaboration could be established at all. In this Center this type of collaboratin will be the norm. We are committed to provide considerable institutional support such as the use of an up-to-date imaging center and a forensic toxicology laboratory established by the university. We will match dollar for dollar the pilot project program and provide administrative support beyond the modest amount requested. The Cores will also be utilized by NlDA-funded investigators at the University of Virginia and George Mason University. Scholars at the relatively new Pharmacy School at Hampton University have expressed interest (letter from the dean) in the utilization of these Cores as they establish their research programs. We will also share all aspects of this Center with scientists throughout the country.