(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The U.S. House approved funding Tuesday evening obtained by Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District – Kansas) for military health-related research at the University of Kansas. The funding was included in H.R. 5631, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007.

The $1 million in funding will be used to purchase a transmission electron microscope, which will be utilized to conduct key research in the fields of biology and vaccines for the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

“With this funding, the University of Kansas will be able to achieve new advances in biomedical research and showcase how our service men and women can benefit from sustained investments in advanced medical and military health technologies,” Moore said.

The transmission electron microscope will provide researchers with the ability to do microscopy at low temperatures, examining so-called “soft” samples, such as tissue and cells. This is a major military health issue, as such research will allow scientists to examine tissue structures and study the design of scaffolds upon which tissue can be regenerated for the reconstruction of bones or connective tissue.

The transmission electron microscope will also be used to directly examine issues in cell biology/cell morphology related to vaccines and cancer.

For additional information please contact George Wilson, Associate Vice Provost for Research at the University of Kansas, at (785) 864-3475.