Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

We are applying to purchase a vapor administration system and associated equipment (i.e. osmometer, work station) to enhance innovation in my NSERC funded Discovery award. The requested equipment will establish a new research capacity, for studying the administration of compounds using vaporization methods, at the University of Victoria, and will also be the first unit devoted to research that involves this type of vapor administration in British Columbia.***The Christie laboratory provides unique training opportunities for Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in sophisticated in vitro electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry and behavioural techniques. These instruments are essential for the delivery of drugs via inhalation in a precise and controlled fashion. The osmometer will also enhance the capacity for performing studies with either in vivo or in vitro electrophysiology as animals of any age can be administered pharmacological compounds, without injection stress, in their home cages. The technology is also particularly ideal for administering compounds to aged animals, pregnant dams, and/or pups prior to weaning. These resources will be primarily used by the Christie laboratory, supporting the training of 3 postdoctoral fellows, 7 graduate students and 4 undergraduate honors students. The instruments will also benefit the experimental work in all of the other laboratories at the Division of Medical Science, as well as laboratories in several associated departments at the University of Victoria (i.e. Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology), and enable a number of collaborations worldwide (i.e. University of British Columbia, San Diego State University, University of Houston, University of the Basque Country in Spain, etc.). The instruments will also help attract new collaborative efforts with industry, as vapor administration of compounds is becoming a significant commercial enterprise. These instruments will primarily support basic research in neuroscience, though they will also be used by individuals in biochemistry, biology, marine biology, cancer biology, and the Center for Biomedical Research at UVic.**