Board of Visitors minutes June 15, 2001 | ||
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE — $1,300,000 ($126,209 unallocated at this time.)
Centralized Research Support Facilities are supported predominantly by user fees. The Pratt endowment subsidy keeps costs low and provides financial stability.
The Biomolecular Research and Mass Spectrometry Facility provides a wide array of highly specialized services
The Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) Facility is a research support facility providing investigators with the technology to study biological processes at the single cell level as well as isolating specific cell populations for detailed investigation. The Facility also provides advanced flow cytometric analyses. Researchers from more than 20 University departments rely on this facility, and individual laboratories equipped with similar instrumentation consult with FACS Center staff on problems or receive instruction in using their equipment. As with other core facilities, the FACS Facility generates a portion of its $126,176 operating budget through user fees. Pratt support will be $15,542.
Small Animal Multimodality Imaging Core (SAMMIC) was established in 1991 to provide magnetic resonance imaging capabilities for biomedical applications. It handles samples larger than those suitable for the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility in Chemistry and smaller than the clinical facility, and thus is suitable for small animals and other research applications. A growing number of investigators in clinical departments as well as engineering and related fields are applying this technology to their research. In addition, the facility provides instruction for students, fellows and faculty in the basic theoretical and practical aspects of magnetic resonance imaging and related techniques. Pratt funds ($20,000) are awarded to subsidize the lab's operating budget ($81,575) in 2001-2002; user fees and departmental funds make up the balance.
The Tissue Culture Facility began as a Diabetes Center service, but has become an important service for the wider
Tissue Procurement Facility As the Health System becomes increasingly focused on translational research, the availability of specific human tissues for research purposes becomes increasingly important. This facility provides for protocol-driven collection of diseased and normal tissue, and the storage, culturing, analysis and distribution of these materials. The Pratt endowment provides $20,632.
Transgenic Mouse Core Facility This core facility was established in 1992 to support genetics research. The facility is equipped to produce transgenic and gene knockout mice for use in studies of normal gene function and altered gene expression as well as in developing animal models for human diseases. It is a multi-user core facility with an operating budget of $208,898 in 2001-2002 Pratt funds ($28,684) are awarded as a subsidy to enhance the availability of this important technology to investigators throughout the University.
The Centralized Electron Microscope Core facility continues to provide excellent service to a substantial number of investigators throughout the School of Medicine. It offers unique facilities that include two transmission electron microscopes, a scanning electron microscope and a confocal microscope. In addition, the Core provides expertise in the preparation of a wide variety of types of samples to be used with these microscopes. It has maintained a strong user base for over 20 years and has an excellent record of cost recovery. In year 2001-2002 this is projected to be approximately 85 percent. In addition to the Pratt contribution ($37,816) for the overall operating costs of the core, a one-time expenditure of $72,274 is provided for purchase of a new ultraviolet laser. This is an important instrumentation upgrade to a machine that is now eight years old, but with this upgrade will be perfectly functional for many additional years.
A new core facility, the Mouse Genetics Core, will be initiated. It will be directed by Marcia McDuffie, M.D.
Board of Visitors minutes June 15, 2001 | ||