# Resource Development Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2024 · $231,726

## Abstract

ABSTRACT: KIDNIT (Kidney Imaging: Developing Novel and Innovative Tools) is the Pittsburgh Center for
Kidney Research’s Resource Development Core. Working in collaboration with kidney investigators and the
Center’s Physiology and Model Systems Core, KIDNIT will build and adapt cutting-edge light, super-resolution,
and electron microscopic imaging modalities and technologies to address open questions related to kidney
function and dysfunction. The broad and long-range goals of KIDNIT are as follows: Aim 1 is to nurture a dynamic
incubator space for imaging tool development. KIDNIT will capitalize on the resources provided by the Center
for Biological Imaging (CBI), one of the largest imaging facilities in the country. The CBI has a dedicated expert
faculty, a large cohort of research technicians, and a vast array of imaging equipment including over 40
contemporary widefield, confocal, two-photon, TIRF, light-sheet, super-resolution, and electron microscopes.
Aim 2 is to develop new and custom-made imaging resources, tools, and technologies specifically to augment
and advance kidney research. KIDNIT will leverage the CBI’s faculty expertise to develop, adapt, and implement
new imaging tools for kidney researchers. Example projects in development include novel clearing and 3D
imaging protocols to reveal and quantify kidney architecture and function at the level of the entire organ;
analyzing collagen organization and structure in normal and fibrotic tissues using a recently developed variant
of polarized light microscopy (instant polarized light microscopy; iPOL); development of new protocols that
employ fluorescent lifetime imaging and fluorescent energy transfer to rapidly assess kidney cell function and
responses to extracellular cues; use of high throughput platforms to perform large-scale screening of organoid
form and function; and development of novel microfluidic chambers. Mechanisms are in place to ensure training
and information transfer. Aim 3 is focused on ensuring robust validation and quality control of new resources.
An example is a validated antibody collection that can be used to assess differentiation, injury, and repair status
of kidney cells and tissues. Aim 4 is to collaborate with the Consortium to prioritize, suspend, or implement new
and improved imaging resources. Working in collaboration with the Consortium, KIDNIT will replace obsolete
technologies by leveraging its ties with industry leaders, along with a strong track record of S10 funding, to offer
the most recent developments in microscopy, specifically to advance the research of our investigator collective.
Impact: KIDNIT will advance kidney research by providing Center and Consortium investigators with novel and
bespoke imaging tools that will provide critical information about the location, dynamics, amounts, and function
of kidney-associated molecules, organelles, cells, and tissues in normal and disease states.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10914938
- **Project number:** 5U54DK137329-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Gerard L Apodaca
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $231,726
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10914938

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10914938, Resource Development Core (5U54DK137329-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10914938. Licensed CC0.

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