of the application) Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has a long history of excellence in NIDDK-supported research in diabetes, renal biology and disease, and digestive disorders. We currently enjoy a scientifically diverse portfolio of NIDDK programs including a George O'Brien Kidney Disease Research Center in its 14th year of existence, and the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center established originally in 1978, and a total of 58 NIDDK-funded investigators in 10 different departments. This proposal seeks to build on our solid foundation of research support to establish the Vanderbilt NIDDK Biotechnology Center for enabling NIDDK-funded investigators to utilize state-of-the-art gene profiling techniques. This initiative has been made feasible by the recent creation of a microarray fabrication and analysis facility, the Vanderbilt Microarray Shared Resource. We are seeking support to expand the capabilities of this facility to provide microarray technology access to NIDDK-supported investigators at our institution. We have assembled a multidisciplinary team including faculty expert in molecular biology, bioengineering, bioinformatics, and genetics to provide direct assistance to NIDDK-funded investigators wishing to utilize this state-of-the-art gene expression technology. Support of the microarray fabrication facility will be accompanied by creation of a Data Analysis and Bioinformatics core group to assist microarray users with the task of analyzing the resulting complex data. An Internal Advisory Committee has been established to provide oversight and guidance relating to appropriate use of microarray resources, quality control, resources sharing, and in development or acquisition of new technologies. We also describe plans for establishing a Pilot and Feasibility grant program to help investigators explore new uses of cDNA microarrays for gene expression profiling, for development or testing of new methodology, and for development of new resources such as specialized libraries. To enhance awareness of the utility of microarray gene expression tools and to disseminate information about the core resources supported by this Center, we will provide training and education to investigators on the optimal use of microarray technology. Finally, we will implement plans for the timely sharing of new experimental approaches, technologies, and resources to the broader research community.
