A Note to Grant Writers

The following is provided as a template from which you can personalize your "Facilities and Other Resources" section of NIH grant proposals involving our core. This is written from the perspective of mouse bone phenotyping; please adapt to your project and reach out with any questions. Letters of support are available on request.

Facility Description

X-ray Microtomography (µCT) Core Facility: The UConn Health µCT core imaging facility has extensive expertise in the assessment of bone microarchitecture, mineral density and functional biomechanics. Directed by Dr. Benjamin Sinder, the µCT core runs three parallel Scanco instruments (µCT50, µCT40 and VivaCT40) suitable for specimen analysis at 2µm-16µm resolution (10% MTF). The µCT50 can run at a maximum voltage of 100kVp, maximum current of 200µA, and has a 3400x1200-element detector. This equipment is run by a full-time MS-level technician with 14 years of experience in this core (Renata Rydzik), and operates on a dedicated local computing cluster with a GPU graphics accelerator, off-site data backup and options for full-service or self-service segmentation and analysis. The core also maintains micromechanical testing equipment, including a TA Instruments Electroforce 3200 set up for 3-point bending of mouse femurs, as well as a Bose SLM090 high-torque torsion testing instrument optimized for testing fractured mouse femurs. Furthermore, the µCT50 is capable of performing compression/tension experiments inside the scanner using a dedicated stage.