We propose the founding of the BIOmolecular Multimodal Imaging Center (BIOMIC) at Vanderbilt University as a Tissue Mapping Center associated with the Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP). The mission of BIOMIC is to build a platform of integrated technologies for imaging and molecular analysis that enables the construction of comprehensive 3-dimensional molecular atlases of human tissues. BIOMIC will leverage the unique resources of the Mass Spectrometry Research Center and the National Research Resource for Imaging Mass Spectrometry at Vanderbilt University along with the world-class clinical environment of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center to create a capability to characterize human tissues at a level of understanding unrivaled by current technologies. The innovative aspect of BIOMIC is the combination of 3-dimesional imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) with a variety of in vivo and ex vivo imaging technologies to create new modalities of molecularly-informed medical imaging. The application of the BIOMIC platform to organ-specific projects in kidney, pancreas, and bone will provide a new paradigm of understanding the normal state of these organs across multiple dimensions, both molecular (e.g., lipids, metabolites, and proteins) and spatial (e.g., whole organs to single cells). As a HuBMAP participant, the molecular atlases generated by BIOMIC will be disseminated to collaborators worldwide to facilitate the generation and testing of new hypotheses regarding the function of these important organ systems, enabling new insight into human health and disease. The mission of BIOMIC is to create a platform that can efficiently acquire and integrate multimodal imaging data sets, including IMS, histology, multiplex-IHC, magnetic resonance imaging, and high- resolution CT imaging for the formation of comprehensive 3-D molecular atlases. This effort requires the creation and integration of three capabilities to 1) procure and manage specimens, 2) prepare and mitigate pre-analytical factors, and 3) acquire, process, and disseminate multimodal imaging and large-scale omics data. The BIOMIC platform will be optimized and tested using three organ-specific projects: bone, kidney, and pancreas.
- Overall This application proposes the founding of the BIOmolecular Multimodal Imaging Center (BIOMIC) at Vanderbilt University, a Tissue Mapping Center associated with the Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP). The mission of BIOMIC is to build a platform of integrated technologies for imaging and molecular analysis that enables the construction of comprehensive 3-dimensional molecular atlases of human tissues. BIOMIC leverages the unique analytical and computational resources of the Mass Spectrometry Research Center and the National Research Resource for Imaging Mass Spectrometry at Vanderbilt University along with the world- class clinical environment of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and unique technical expertise at Delft University of Technology to create a capability to characterize human tissues at a level of understanding unrivaled by current technologies.
