DAKO Chromavision ACIS II Image Analysis System This proposal requests $175,850 to purchase a DAKO ACIS II image analysis system that will be housed in the Instrumentation Resource Facility (IRF) of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and South Carolina Cancer Center (SCCC). Major users of the system will be 13 NIH funded researchers associated with the School of Medicine, the SCCC and the University of South Carolina Center for Colon Cancer Research (CCCR). Two other minor users of the system are young investigators that have American Cancer Society and/or NIH funding. The system will be used in a variety of research areas including cardiovascular development and disease, neurosciences and cancer. Collectively, the Users group holds 22 NIH grants. The DAKO ACIS II cell imaging system was selected as the instrument of choice after obtaining demonstrations on available systems at several meetings including FASEB, Cell Biology and the American Cancer Society meetings. In addition, Ms. Valerie Kennedy, the technologist who will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the system, has traveled to the offices of DAKO North America, Inc. in Carpinteria, CA to analyze several samples relevant to the research of the Major Users. The purpose of this trip was to ensure the ACIS II system is capable of performing the image analysis tasks needed by our research group. The primary purpose for acquiring the system will be to automate our analyses of a number of standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) stains that are performed within the laboratories of the investigators participating in this proposal. This will significantly increase the acquisition and standardization of data from a variety of IHC stains produced for these investigators by the Histology Core in the IRF. Examples of the detailed analyses the ACIS II is capable of and how the automated features of the system will enhance the research productivity and competitiveness of each investigator is presented below in the Research Descriptions provided by the Major Users in this proposal. Acquisition of this system and housing it in an established core facility will allow access to it by a large number of investigators and will significantly enhance the research environment at the University of South Carolina. ? ? ?
