At Florida State University, the collective strength of biomedical research and the scientists who lead it has earned a $2 million High-End Instrumentation (HEI) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The one-year award will help FSU buy a state-of-the-art robotic electron microscope to advance cutting-edge studies of HIV/AIDS, heart disease, hypertension and cancer.
FSU will have $4.8 million in total funding after it matches the $2 million NIH award with $2.8 million from monies the university has set aside specifically to support research.
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"Currently, the world's only working installation of this microscope is in Germany," Travis said. "In the U.S., FSU will have one of only five installed or planned for near term installation. The others will be installed at NIH itself; the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of California-Berkeley; and the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research at the University of California-San Diego — all acknowledged as the best in the nation for structural biology and structural biological imaging. FSU soon will have capabilities unmatched by all but a few institutions in the nation."
Travis noted that it's extremely rare to see an HEI grant, especially such a large one, awarded to a single group of investigators; typically awards of that type go to national centers or nationwide facilities serving multiple groups. "It's quite a testament to the scientific ingenuity of the group that will comprise the instrument's primary users, the importance of the work they do, and the commitment FSU has made to their research areas," he said.
"Innovative biomedical research requires frequent access to the newest and most advanced technology," said Barbara Alving, M.D., director of NCRR. "Such tools play key roles in the study of disease and the fundamental mechanisms of biological function, ultimately leading to new advances and treatments for diseases."
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