This application is for the renewal of an NEI Core Grant in support of the research programs of 12 Principal Investigators holding 14 active NEI individual research grants (R01 and K23) and an NEI Institutional Training Grant. These investigators form the nucleus of the Visual Sciences Research Center (VSRC), a broader group of 30 vision researchers in 13 different basic and clinical science departments at the University Hospital Research Institute (UHRI), Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU), and the Cleveland VA Medical Center. Our investigators utilize a range of techniques, from molecular to behavioral levels, to study a spectrum of problems in vision research. Our first Core Grant, and substantial institutional support from UHRI and CWRU, has allowed the creation and successful use of three modules: Tissue Culture and Cell Analysis, Molecular Biology, and Specialized Animal Resource. In this application the activities of each module have been refined to provide the most efficient and equitable use of shared resources as the needs of our Pis change. To capitalize on rapidly changing technologies, we also proposed the creation of two new modules, a Digital Imaging Module to meet a growing need for expertise in specialized image capture functions, and a Bioinformatics Module which will provide shared services for DNA sequencing and advanced analysis of genome-wide screening data, along with vital training in bioinformatics. Our molecules also will serve as an integral resource for pre- and postdoctoral trainees in the new CWRU Visual Sciences Training Program. With a strong commitment toward this renewal, an additional $475,000 of institutional support, and an enthusiasm to pursue common goals and objectives while enhancing individual programs, the VSRC investigators look forward to continuing efforts towards analysis of fundamental mechanisms in ocular and visual system development, function, and pathogenesis of diseases of the eye and visual system.
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