Funds are requested to purchase a new BioRad confocal microscope for the Cardiovascular Developmental Biology Center (CDBC) and the Molecular Morphology and Imaging (MMI) facility sponsored by the CDBC through grants awarded to its 19 members. The CDBC is an interdepartmental, inter- institutional program committed to supporting research on the developmental basis of cardiovascular disease. The MMI provides microscopic and computer assisted imaging support to a large group of users (many NIH-funded) including those of the CDBC and Departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Biochemistry, Medicine, Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Surgery. Through successes of its members in forming by national and international collaboration, the CDBC and its MMI has become a major resource for morphologically characterizing the cardiac phenotypes produced by various gene and protein perturbations in mice and chick embryos. Thus, the major rationale for the proposal is that use of the present instrumentation has reached a saturation point such that we can no longer assure adequate time to complete ongoing projects. Perhaps, of even more concern, is that there is insufficient time to develop new multiple investigator initiatives upon which the future operation of the MMI may depend. The present BioRad instrument, obtained through an NIH shared instrument award submitted in 1992 (Dr. R. Thompson, P.I), was an immediate success. Logs indicate increased use each year, to more than 40 hours/week average. Collectively, the major users from the CDBC who were selected to develop this proposal because they have established a strong record to productivity, averaging 3-5 manuscripts annually. Moreover, each has recently renewed or obtained additional NIH funding which promises to further increase demand for confocal imaging. While the requested instrument and the cost shared upgrades to the existing instrument should, of course, minimize scheduling conflicts arising from its extensive use, it would also enhance our opportunities to successfully compete for multiple investigators award such as a vessel-wall proposal being prepared to respond to an RFA SCOR in Pediatric Cardiology. In particular, our collaborative successes in characterizing cardiac defects in genetically modified mice has encouraged us to purse a P41 award from the National Center for Research Resources. If funded, it would greatly extend the outreach of the MMI and CDBC as a unique focus group with the morphological expertise to more fully evaluate animal genetic models.
