PROJECT SUMMARY: VDDRC Cell Imaging Core The Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center (VDDRC) Cell Imaging Core, operated by the Cell Imaging Shared Resource (CISR), ensures that VDDRC-affiliated investigators have full access to state-of-the-art imaging equipment and expert technical support to conduct sophisticated microscopy and analysis of digestive disease tissue and samples. By utilizing a large, well-established facility, the VDDRC Cell Imaging Core provides high levels of quality control, a dedicated, expert staff and a significant economy of scale for services that would be difficult (if not impossible) for individual investigators to establish and support. This organizational structure fits well with the centralized approach to prevent needless duplication of scientific resources within federally funded research centers, enabling focused development of technology that serves VDDRC investigators. The overall goal of the VDDRC Cell Imaging Core is to provide the full range of modern microscopy and digital imaging capabilities and techniques to enable and accelerate digestive disease research at Vanderbilt through three objectives: 1) acquire and maintain state-of-the art optical and EM imaging technology; 2) train, assist, and encourage VDDRC-affiliated investigators to incorporate optical, EM, and in vivo imaging technologies into their research; and 3) develop new imaging technologies that will be useful for digestive disease research. VDDRC support reduces the net cost of imaging services to VDDRC investigators and has helped provide financial stability essential to sustain historically high levels of service, which has been vital to the successful acquisition of new instruments and services that support VDDRC researchers. During the current funding period, investigators representing 63 separate VDDRC-affiliated laboratories have used all aspects of this Core, leading to 154 peer-reviewed publications. Over the same time period, initiatives taken to obtain equipment grants, combined with institutional contributions, have provided over $4.1M in new capital equipment for the benefit of VDDRC investigators. This includes one commercial and two custom-built lightsheet microscopes, a new confocal microscope, and significant upgrades to both light and electron microscopes. Currently, the VDDRC Cell Imaging Core manages 18 light and electron microscopes valued in excess of $10M, including a Nikon Center of Excellence. The Vanderbilt shared facilities system provides an efficient billing system, oversight and governance for this Core at no extra cost to VDDRC members. The VDDRC Cell Imaging Core will continue to be a critical component in Vanderbilt’s broad range of digestive disease research resources and will provide essential services that support the research of VDDRC-affiliated investigators during the next funding cycle.