This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The Animal Module of the COBRE serves all vision researchers on the OUHSC campus with high-quality animal care and technical assistance with vision-related experiments. Housing for mice, rats, and rabbits includes conventional, microisolation, and biohazard environments. Equipment available in the Animal Module includes systems for electroretinography, microsurgery, microinjection, vitrectomy, dark adaptation, light exposure, and digital photography and videography. Transgenic breeding colonies have been developed and established, facilitating the analysis of specific genes and factors involved in retinal degeneration, glaucoma, insulin receptor, diabetes, cytokine synthesis, and innate immune recognition systems. This varied collection of transgenic strains is available to all vision and non-vision researchers at OUHSC and has facilitated fruitful collaborations among researchers in differing areas of expertise. The Animal Module is the most heavily used COBRE module and is absolutely essential to the research programs of the COBRE PJIs and ECIs. Growth of vision research at OUHSC and subsequent increases in animal needs necessitates expansion into additional animal space on the OUHSC campus. An estimated doubling of available animal space is projected at DMEI with the completion of facility expansion in the next 2 years. These major improvements will facilitate the development of the COBRE PJIs'and ECIs'research programs and the growth of vision research at OUHSC.
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