Molecular Imaging Chemistry Core (MICC): Director: Viiav Sharma. Ph.D. The MICC will continue to serve as a crucial interface for various proposed interdisciplinary projects. Dr. Vijay Sharma is the MICC Director. He is a chemist trained in inorganic and organic chemistry with extensive experience in radiopharmaceutical and conjugation chemistry and will be directly responsible for managing, prioritizing and executing the various day-to-day activities of the MICC. Sam Achilefu, Ph.D., ICMIC preceptor provides additional peptide synthesis and fluorophore chemistry expertise for the MICC. The MICC constitutes approximately 600 sq. ft. of floor space on the ground floor of the East Building Imaging Research Center. In addition, SAIR and PET chemistry laboratories in the Clinical Sciences Research Building (Michael Welch, Ph.D.) serve as supplemental instrument and radiochemistry laboratories for the ICMIC thereby enabling full access to high level synthetic resources. The DBBS Chemical Biology Program Labs located across the street from the East Building Imaging Research Facility house a 300 MHz NMR spectrometer and X-ray diffractometer. The Washington University Danforth Campus, Department of Chemistry Spectroscopy Laboratory houses IR, mass spect, and NMR spectrometers available for use by the Core. We have full access to these later instruments for discounted fees. The MICC instruments include a hot cell for PET radiochemistry, Rotovap, vacuum pumps, fume hoods x 4, stills x 2, hot plates, ovens, analytical scales, TLC, scanning radiometric detector, computer-controlled gradient HPLC systems x 3 (Waters x 2, Rainin), fraction collector, sealed glove box, solvents, lead fort and storage. Peptide synthesis can be performed for the MICC under the direction of Dr. Achilefu. Synthetic activities of the several radiochemistry labs on campus are coordinated depending on the needs of ICMIC investigators and project logistics. Several radiopharmaceuticals necessary for execution of ICMIC Projects, such as 18FHBG (Research Project 4), are synthesized in the East Building MICC for pre-clinical studies and will be synthesized in the CSRB Radiochemistry labs under an IND for clinical studies. The MICC consists of three functional components: A) chemistry services for other investigators; B) discovery research and validation of new agents, and C) training of students, post-doctoral fellows, technical staff, and investigators in the development of specialized compounds and reagents for molecular imaging applications.
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