CAREER: Molecular Imaging Training Program

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

0953583 Tsourkas The overall objective of this proposal is to establish a synergistic, multidisciplinary research and educational program for undergraduate and graduate students that will provide direct links between classroom education, independent research, and teaching. The underlying theme for this program will be "Molecular Imaging" and it will integrate both lecture- and laboratory-based learning. The lecture-based component will center on a core curriculum that is designed to introduce students enrolled in the training program to the fundamentals of molecular imaging. This will be complemented with monthly seminars on "Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapeutics" and a weekly journal club on the same topic. The undergraduate and graduate research plan will focus on developing two complementary bioluminescent probes that will allow for the non-invasive, real-time imaging of programmed cell death (PCD) and cell proliferation, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and dynamic range of these bioluminescent sensors will be evaluated in culture and in murine tumor models. The proposed research plan has been specifically designed to possess well-defined objectives for both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate projects are independent but complementary to those performed by graduate students and are meant to establish a setting for problem-based learning and increased responsibility, while simultaneously fostering a collaborative atmosphere. With regards to Intellectual Merit; It has been found that nearly all diseases have been associated with the deregulation of homeostasis. The bioluminescent probes for PCD and cell proliferation can be used to advance knowledge and understanding in a wide range of biological disciplines. Applications might include monitoring stem cell fate and function in tissue engineered implants or in cell-based therapies, performing high-throughput screening of therapeutic compounds on live cells or zebra fish, evaluating the toxic or stimulating effects of environmental, mechanical, and/or chemical cues in realtime, or determining the efficacy of therapeutic compounds in culture or in murine models of disease.