The investigators propose the renovation of approximately 7,500 sq. ft. of laboratories and offices on the second and fourth floors of the Pharmacy Research Building, in the College of Pharmacy at the UM. The plans include renovation of research laboratory space for two categories of use. The first of these is the renovation of space to be assigned to specific faculty members in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. These 'assigned-user' laboratories will be designed around the predominant research themes in those laboratories. This will allow sharing of space and instrumentation among faculty with similar interests, resulting in more efficient use of resources, and will enhance scientific dialogue between research groups. In addition to this 'assigned-user' space, approximately 1,700 sq. ft. of renovated space is designated for shared core research facilities, including cell and tissue culture facilities, an imaging and microscopy laboratory, shared cold room and freezer space, and a 650 sq. ft. Core Molecular Instrumentation Laboratory. These facilities will support research interests across a broad spectrum of faculty members who share the common goal of Molecular Drug Targeting (i.e., the design, synthesis, and delivery of effective, efficient, and selective drugs) and will form the foundation of a Center for Molecular Drug Targeting (CMDT) that will emphasize molecular and cellular based approaches to biopharmaceutics and drug design, targeting and delivery. The renovations proposed here will position to make important contributions in these areas by providing the infrastructure to support current funded research as well as exciting, new investigator initiated applications.
