Funding News - Applications on Systems and Methods for Small Animal Imaging Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) invite applications for small business innovation research (SBIR) and small business technology transfer research (STTR) awards to support research and development of small animal imaging devices and methods that can be applied to research on diverse biological or disease processes.*

Recent discoveries in genomics and molecular and cell biology have led to the development and wide use of small animal models of human disease. One of the limitations with the use of these models is the need to sacrifice large numbers of animals for ex vivo tissue and molecular analysis. Imaging instrumentation and methods that permit imaging on the scale of small animals offer an opportunity to address this problem by enabling noninvasive investigations of biological processes in vivo.

Potential areas of research interest include: development of small animal imaging systems that extend the capabilities of existing devices through improved spatial and temporal resolution, sensitivity, and throughput for screening applications; development of improved methods for image reconstruction and processing, and of analytical tools for image analysis; development of complementary devices and methods for improved animal handling including motion compensation and correction, imaging agent administration, blood sampling, anesthesia delivery, and animal maintenance and monitoring during imaging; and in vivo investigations of imaging agents and high-affinity molecular probes for the imaging of biological processes in small animals, including improved methods for probe delivery and targeting.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Daofen Chen, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2131, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: daofen_chen@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-031.html.