This application requests funds to purchase a JEOL 1400 transmission electron microscope for a group of 9 NIH funded investigators to be used at the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Virginia Tech Carillion campus. Together the investigators have 19 active NIH grants for research in cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's research, and use of alternative medicines to reduce inflammation. The requested instrument will replace a 28 year old JEOL 200CX transmission electron microscope that has experienced a series of maintenance problems that have resulted in the instrument being nonfunctional 21% of the time. The requested instrument will be placed in the University of South Carolina Instrumentation Resource Facility (IRF) located on the School of Medicine campus. The JEOL 1400 has capability through the Graphical User Interface to be operated remotely which will significantly enhance the research of the investigators at Virginia Tech Carillion and the Medical University of South Carolina. The IRF is a core biotechnology facility with a wide range of equipment, an existing administrative and research staff, and strong support from the University. Dr. Robert Price, Director of the IRF and PI of this proposal, has ongoing electron microscopy collaborations with all of the investigators participating in the proposal.
