The purpose of this application is to enhance and expand vision research in UCSB's Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI). The proposal requests support for equipment and personnel for the establishment of two core Modules that will facilitate the application of forefront genomic and proteomic techniques by seven NEI-funded investigators in their vision-related research projects. The addition of the equipment and personnel requested in this application will create of two independent, yet fully integrated, facilities that will enhance our analytical capabilities in both genomics and proteomics. The Genomic and Proteomic Modules will complement our existing strengths in immunochemistry and microscopy at the light, confocal, and electron microscopic levels. The NRI has a long history of strength in vision research that spans close to 3 decades, and currently includes programs in the biology of color vision, developmental neurobiology, the cell and molecular biology of retinal detachment, and the molecular pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. Historically, the NRI has encouraged the development of shared research facilities, with the goal of fostering synergistic and cross-disciplinary interactions. The proposed project is consistent with this strategy. It will have an enormous impact on existing NEI supported research programs. Each of the seven participating Investigators has projects that will be enhanced, broadened, and in some cases, enabled by the state-of-the-art genomics and proteomics technologies that are proposed in this application. This project will also foster a significant expansion of vision-related research efforts by providing resources that will attract new investigators interested in genomic and proteomic approaches to problems in vision.
