- Small Animal Imaging Core The Small Animal Imaging Core (SAIC) established under the Phase I COBRE at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUSHC) provides access to state of the art small animal imaging modalities for evaluating tumor growth, progression, metastasis, and response to therapy. The functions of the SAIC include providing assistance, and consultation in designing in vitro and in vivo studies that involve molecular imaging. The SAIC staff's provide their expertise to the COBRE principal junior investigators (PJIs), pilot project junior investigators (PPIs), and other investigators from OUHSC and neighboring institutions with animal studies that require non-invasive molecular imaging; provide training in the use of the imaging equipment's; and subsequent collection and analysis of data. SAIC also provides assistance in optimizing imaging and other pre- and post-imaging surgical procedures. In addition, SAIC provides advanced high-content live cell imaging. Further, SAIC has developed a cell bank of human and murine cancer cell lines with molecular tags that are annotated and characterized. Using these cell lines eliminates variability in the experimental results and maintain rigor. Finally, SAIC staff's undergo annual training for software updates and other imaging-related techniques to keep them abreast of advances in imaging. During the Phase I COBRE funding period, 4 PJIs, 2 PPIs, and 89 other investigators have received service and/or training in using various equipment's and have accessed the SAIC facility for conducting their research. This has led in obtaining significant scientific data and advancing research projects resulting in conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and grant application submissions. Finally, SAIC has continued to expand the facility by adding new equipment's thus enabling investigators in conducting cutting-edge research. In the Phase II period, the SAIC plans continuing to train and offer assistance to new PJIs, PPISs, and other investigators in successfully conducting animal studies with ease and have rigor and reproducibility. For achieving these objectives, SAIC has identified three specific aims ? 1) provide service, assistance, and consultation in designing in vitro and in vivo studies related to molecular imaging; 2) provide labeled cells for monitoring gene expression, cell trafficking, and disease progression in in vitro and in vivo models; 3) Assist in high-throughput and high- content imaging of live cells and in imaging of tumor xenografts and other tissues. Continued availability of SAIC services will allow PJIs, PPIs, and other investigators in generating preliminary data for submitting grant applications and obtaining research funding.
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