The purpose of this Core Grant for Vision Research is to provide support for the extensive, successful vision research program at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The participating investigators are located in the LSU Eye Center (Department of Ophthalmology), the LSU Neuroscience Center, the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, and the Department of Physiology. This proposal is to provide continuing support for the four Modules that have been successfully and efficiently assisting this research group for many years: the OCULAR STRUCTURE AND IMAGE ANALYSIS MODULE, which provides transmission and scanning electron microscopy and image analysis for the documentation of anatomical observations by providing the equipment and the services of an electron microscopy technician and a systems analyst who can customize computer-based image analysis routines to all participating investigators; the CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY MODULE, which provides viruses, bacteria, plasmids, and cells, as well as the services of a Tissue Culture Technician who is skilled in the latest techniques for handling and analyzing these materials; the INSTRUMENT SHOP MODULE, which is operated by a highly skilled instrument designer who has the equipment available to fabricate specialized instrumentation; and the BIOINFORMATICS, STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND MODELING MODULE, which provides the services of a biostatistician who has been aiding vision researchers for 11 years in the design, management, and analysis of both basic science and clinical studies and acquisition of databases for future vision studies, with the assistance of a clinical coordinator who is available to assist in all phases of clinical trials, especially those studies that are part of R01 and SBIR projects. The Core Grant for Vision Research has fostered collaborations among the participating investigators at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and other faculty members on this and other campuses in the New Orleans area, collaborations with scientists at LSU in Baton Rouge, and many more collaborators around the world. This Core Grant has ? been a vital force in keeping vision research highly active at LSU for the past 25 years, and we hope that it will continue to serve this function in the future. ? ?
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