Continued CORE grant support for the research efforts of vision scientists at the University of California, Davis is requested. In the past five years there has been a major increase in the number of faculty hired with primary research interests in the visual sciences, and a near doubling in NEI funded grants. The CORE has played a major role in this virtual """"""""boom"""""""" in the visual sciences at UC Davis. It has enhanced the ability of our faculty to interact in efficient and productive manners, and has called attention of campus administrators to the excellent cadre of faculty devoted to vision research. The present proposal seeks funding for four modules designed to support the needs of our current faculty and to attract new faculty slated for the proposed Center for Vision Research. The modules are: (i) Multi-neuronal Recordings Module directed by Dr. Ken Britten, supports programming and computation needs of our neurophysiologists; (ii) Retinal Cell Culture Facility Module directed by Dr. Martin Wilson, offers tissue culture facilities as well as imaging of retinal tissue; (iii) Microscopic Anatomy Module directed by Dr. Paul FitzGerald provides microscopy and histological services; (iv) Machine Shop Module, headed by Dr. John Werner, offers design, fabrication, maintenance, modification and repair of essential items of equipment not available commercially. Three of the modules funded previously, remain essentially unchanged from the last grant period, since they have proven to be effective and useful resources for the CORE grant faculty. The Machine Shop Module has been added after consultation with the vision researchers on this campus. It was deemed as having the most widespread utility across all of our research areas. The support of the campus administrators for the CORE has been, and continues to be, outstanding. This is reflected by the recent hiring of 10 additional vision faculty. Also, a proposal for a new Center for Vision Research has been approved by the Dean of the Medical School as well as the Dean of Biological Sciences, and is currently under consideration by the Provost, and the Dean of the Medical School has recently pledged $1,000,000 as part of his commitment to vision research on this campus. The research programs funded by the CORE are relevant to furthering our understanding of the basic mechanisms of vision, and they are consistent with our long-term goal of developing effective treatments of myriad visual disorders.
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