This Core will be directed by Dr. Weili Lin who has expertise in several aspects of imaging and who has published extensively in this area. The imaging core will provide SPECT, CT, OI, and MRI/MR imaging capabilities. A 9.4 Tesla MRI, has been funded and will be installed in renovated space in Year1 in the same building with optical imaging, micro CT and micro PET and animal holding space. Drs. Lin and Zhou are developing prototypes of carbon nanotube micro CT for this facility. These capabilities will provide key support to Projects 1,2 and 4 and will interface with the X-ray imaging approaches of Project 3.

Specific tasks of the Imaging Core will be to:

* determine the biodistribution of the nanoparticles developed in Projects 1, 2 and 4
* image tumors and follow tumor growth or regression in Projects 1, 2, 3, 4

• Top-down Nanoparticle Fabrication
• Carbon Nanotube X-Ray
• Magnetic Nanoparticles
• Nanofluidic Devices
• Nanopatterned Surfaces

• Animal Models
• Combinatorial Library
• Small Animal Imaging
• Pharmacokinetics, Biodistribution, And Biocompatibility