The purpose of this core is to develop, implement, and maintain the MRI instrumentation needed to carry out the proposed imaging experiments. There are three primary aspects to this Core: .Development and application of goal-based data acquisition software in close collaboration with the Algorithms Project and Computations Core .MRI probe design and construction aimed at in vivo mammalian imaging .Routine maintenance and trouble shooting .Installation, testing, running of new 8.4T horizontal system .Assist Connectivity Project and Atlas Project in MRI data collection This Core will employ a Bruker 11.7T NMR spectrometer with micro-imaging accessory that is already installed in the Biological Imaging Center of the Beckman Institute at CalTech and a SMIS 8.4T MR imaging system to be installed winter of 1997. This Bruker instrument is controlled by a UNIX based workstation, while the SMIS instrument is PC controlled. Both systems are accessible over our local campus network, The Atlases Project and Connectivity Project will employ the instrumentation in this Core to obtain the required MR images. The Algorithms Project will use the instruments as a test beds to implement and test the software being developed.
