Share thisThe UCLA Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging was designed and built to support the research interests of a wide range of investigators from multiple disciplines.
Biomedical research utilizing small animals, such as mice and rats, has expanded dramatically in the past few years as molecular biology and imaging techniques open new opportunities to investigate models of disease. The growing number of mouse and rat experiments, coupled with an increasing number of dedicated small animal imaging systems, such as microPET®, optical, microCAT, microMR, ultrasound, and microSPECT, has necessitated a common technical center for imaging small animals using these devices and to guide further technology development to meet the scientific needs for which these technologies are employed. These new imaging systems provide investigators unprecedented abilities to examine and measure in-vivo biological and pharmacologic processes over time in the same animals. Increasingly sophisticated molecular probes and tool sets allow researchers to examine multiple processes at once in the same animal by using different light wavelengths (optical), various molecular imaging probes (PET, SPECT), and different contrast agents (MR, CT), as well as to define the anatomical structures in which these processes take place. This, in turn, has led to a demand for comprehensive, mul-timodality imaging facilities that can house animals, support imaging systems, and provide investigators with the tools, methods, and other infrastructure necessary for successful imaging experiments. At the UCLA Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, we have designed and built such a facility to support the research interests of a wide range of investigators from multiple disciplines. The facility includes support for investigator training, study scheduling, data acquisition, archiving, image display, and analysis. The design requirements to satisfy both research and regulatory oversight have been critically examined to create a streamlined process for handling animals and data.
At our institution, the facility must be capable of handling large numbers of animals from multiple investigators who utilize a wide range of imaging modalities, including microPET,® bioluminescent/fluorescent optical imaging systems, microCAT, and digital autoradiography (Figure 1). Each of these systems has various support requirements, including: dose-drawing equipment, well counters, anesthesia, isolated imaging specifications, maintenance and monitoring of biological functions, biosafety cabinets, computer infrastructure, data archiving, and image analysis tools.
Figure 1. Examples of microPET-CT, microPET, autoradiography, and optical bioluminescence images in mice.
Figure 2. The layout of the Crump Imaging Facility.
The complexity of imaging systems and animal models requires that the imaging center provide specialized training and support, even for investigators who have a wide range of familiarity with imaging processes. For some imaging methods, such as optical imaging,1this only requires appropriate training and occasional support for supplies, service, and software upgrades. Other imaging methods, such as PET,2,3require dedicated staff, cyclotron time, and radiochemistry support for experiments. In particular, the use of ionizing radiation (radioisotopes), instruments that produce radiation (microCT4), or require radiation for use and calibration (microPET®) require oversight by staff trained in radiation safety.