Molecular & Cellular Analysis Core 7. Project/Summary Abstract The Molecular & Cellular Analysis Core was approved as a molecular biology/histology core in the last competitive renewal and has been an active and critical core for many Core participants. Core participants since the last grant renewal have demonstrated outstanding productivity publishing 159 papers. For the proposed funding cycle, of the 11 moderate or extensive Core participants, seven are NEI R01-funded (64%) and the other four are actively seeking new or continued NEI R01-funding. The two limited Core participants proposed have NIH new investigator status and are actively seeking NEI R01 support. User needs have progressed to require more advanced molecular analysis tools and expertise warranting several core enhancements that have been made to meet these needs. Major institutional support has allowed the purchase of new equipment or the upgrade of some of the key Core equipment to help meet user needs by providing the most up to date equipment. The Core encompasses protein and nucleic analysis, histology, and advanced microscopy imaging and analysis. Dr. Pittler, the Core Director is an expert in cell and molecular biology, and biochemistry and will continue as the Core Director. Dr. Marina Gorbatyuk has been added as an Associate Director to assist with Core governance and metrics analysis. She brings additional cell and molecular and biochemical expertise including extensive experience with AAV production and use. In addition to having advanced equipment for analysis, the Core has a highly educated, fully trained MD, PhD scientist, Dr. Vincenzo Guarcello as the Laboratory Director. His broad knowledge and experience base and overall scientific skill is a major asset. The Core equipment is primarily housed dedicated space in close proximity to most users and is accessible 24/7. Conflicts in usage scheduling is minimized through a comprehensive online scheduler for all major equipment. Outstanding institutional support has been critical in many ways: (1) to provide the facilities that house Core equipment and an office for the laboratory director, (2) to maintain the equipment, (3) to obtain new equipment to increase core capability and (4) to partially support the Laboratory Director. Core usage is carefully monitored to ensure priority of use among Core participants as follows: NEI R01-funded participants have first priority for use (1), followed by participants with NIH new investigator status that are actively seeking an NEI R01 (2), then by participants that are collaborating as key personnel on an NEI R01 and actively seeking lead PI NEI R01 support (3), and lastly by participants that have recently in the last three years been NEI R01-funded and are actively seeking new NEI R01 support (4).
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