IDDRC
Neurobiology Imaging
and Tissue Processing Core-C
Director: Lucas
D. Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D.
The
Developmental Neurobiology Imaging and Tissue Processing Core
provides state-of-the-art equipment and technical support for
experimental projects on the assembly and modulation of synaptic,
neuronal, and glial structure and function. By sharing technical
expertise, equipment, facilities, and professional staff, the
Core facilitates cost-effective, cross-project collaborations.
Core-C
Objectives
The
objective of the Neurobiology Tissue Processing and Imaging
Core (Core C) is to provide state-of-the-art equipment and
technical support for a broad range of experimental projects
on intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). By
sharing technical expertise, equipment, facilities, and professional
staff, this Core will facilitate cross-project collaborations
among the different projects of the proposed IDDRC. Core C
represents a “truly enabling” core service equipped
and staffed to offer cytological and histological processing
of experimental
tissues, and perform image acquisition and analysis in a regular
and reliable fashion for many of the projects outlined in this
P30 IDDRC application. For us, “truly enabling” means
that Core C provides both equipment and experienced staff that
will assist IDDRC Investigators with all aspects of their projects,
from initial development and experimental design to data acquisition
and analyses, including training if needed. Often times, investigators
are faced with the need to perform experiments that are outside
their scope of expertise. Time-lapse multiphoton excitation
microscopy and electron microscopy come to mind as examples.
Investigators who rely extensively on these techniques may
wish to learn the use of the equipment offered under the auspices
of our highly experienced staff; they will then conduct experiments
largely on their own. On the other end of the spectrum are
investigators who have only incidental need for a particular
technique and are quite content to have our staff conduct the
experiments for them. We are in a position to assist in either
instance, enabling investigators to accomplish technically
difficult experiments that they would otherwise be unable to
do. In addition, we seek to offer services regarding cell and
tissue sectioning and staining processing. These services,
while being a convenience for investigators, will have the
added benefit of providing a reference set of tissues, cells,
and protocols that can be shared by numerous investigators.
This allows for collaborations between investigators each studying
the same cells or tissues, making comparative analyses of data
more feasible.
