This application is designed to enhance the quality and increase the quantity of space for National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded biomedical research at UCSB. A combination of new construction and renovation to create three state-of-the-art research facilities are proposed addressing important, unmet national health priorities in the area of neuroscience, emphasizing neurodegeneration. The research facilities will be: 1) the Alzheimers Research Laboratory (ARL) - proposed is new construction of 10,023 sq. ft. of laboratory and research support facilities in the new Life Science and Technology (LST) Building, which is currently in the final stages of design and review. This will bring together multiple NIH-funded researchers, presently scattered in three locations, much of which is sub-standard space; 2) the Retinal Degeneration Research Laboratory (RDRL)- in the adjacent Biological Sciences II Building, 1,000 sq. ft. of outdated, dysfunctional space will be renovated to accommodate specialized image analysis and specimen preparation for multiple NIH-funded programs focused on retinal disease; and 3) the Core Microscopy Facility (CMF) 1,000 sq. ft. will be renovated to cluster the equipment and support personnel of the Microscopy Facility, presently scattered on three floors in two buildings. Relocation to modern and more functional space will improve efficiency dramatically and allow better management. The impact of this construction will be far reaching, and will include: 1) expansion of research in neurodegeneration; 2) clustering of NIH-funded laboratories sharing common research goals, techniques and equipment; 3) consolidation and improvement of a core facility providing research support for numerous laboratories on campus; 4) free 6,600 sq. ft. of laboratory space for new faculty hires in neuroscience and related biomedical areas; and 5) significantly improve the training environment for future researchers.
