NEI-supported investigators and their collaborators from Duke University (Duke), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) request continuing support for a Core Grant for Vision Research. These researchers are from Departments of Ophthalmology, Medicine, Neurobiology, Pathology, and Cell Biology. Research areas covered by this group range from deciphering basic mechanisms of signal transduction to delineating functional organization of the visual cortex, and from identifying disease genes to finding effective therapy for specific eye disorders. For the past 20 years, we have used the NEI Core Grant to develop and update our resource modules, thus enhancing the capabilities of individual NEI-supported investigators and our institutions to conduct vision research. The Core Grant effectively provides (1) shared resources and services that are not readily supported by individual research grants and (2) an atmosphere conducive to sharing current techniques;both are critical to the successful research of individual investigators. Furthermore, the same infrastructure facilitates the participation of clinical ophthalmologists at Duke, and especially the development of clinician scientists. It thus supports and facilitates the process of translating the discoveries from basic research into new diagnostic and therapeutic applications directly related to human eye diseases. We request continuing support for three resource modules: Morphology/Image Processing Module, Proteomics/Molecular Biology Module, and Animal Models Module. Support of these shared resources, particularly in the present environment of newly-added research space and faculty at Duke, is vital to the creation of synergy that will give impetus to our vision research group in reaching a level of success that is greater than the sum of the individual investigator's expected achievements.
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