# Molecular and Cellular Biology Core

> **NIH NIH P20** · KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $339,474

## Abstract

Project Summary: 
The Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Core facility will be modernized and enhanced by adding new 
equipment and services to expand the capabilities of the facility. The MCB Core is a fully functional research 
core that currently provides imaging and flow cytometry services to CVM users. MCB Core facility improvements 
will focus on expanding the DNA sequencing, CRISPR technology, and cell sorting capabilities. Significant new 
financial support from Kansas State University (KSU) for new equipment acquisition and facility maintenance 
and sustainability has been obtained and will further expand the range of technologies available in the facility, 
providing cutting-edge technological support for current and future research projects. Dr. Philip R. Hardwidge, a 
bacterial pathogenesis expert, will serve as MCB Core director. Dr. Waithaka Mwangi, the current director of 
KSU CVM's flow cytometry facility and a vaccine development expert, will serve as MCB Core associate director, 
providing additional senior leadership. MCB Core support for bioinformatics and handling of large DNA 
sequencing datasets will be provided by the KSU Bioinformatics Center, under the direction of Dr. Sue Brown, 
Division of Biology. Expert technical support for DNA sequencing will be provided by Dr. Doug Marthaler, the 
current director of DNA sequencing in the KSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Implementation and refinement 
of cutting-edge CRISPR technology will be provided by Dr. Greg Finnigan, in the KSU Biochemistry and 
Molecular Biophysics Department. Additional technological, project-specific advice and mentoring will be 
provided by the COBRE mentoring team, internal and external advisory committee members, and members from 
the CVM and Division of Biology at KSU. A senior research associate, Mike Hays, will provide day-to-day 
management of the facility, and will communicate with project leaders to identify specific, evolving needs for 
individual projects and the Core. Mike Hays possesses significant experience in the molecular and cellular 
biology methodologies that will be utilized. The Core has already established the feasibility of providing advanced 
imaging technology, next-generation DNA sequencing and CRISPR resources to junior project leaders. These 
activities will be tightly integrated with the Animal Model and Pathology (AMP) Core. The AMP core will also 
undergo technological upgrades, including the acquisition of a laser capture microdissection instrument. 
Significant synergy will exist between the two cores and will allow for the first time at KSU the performance of 
single-cell RNA-Seq experiments. The MCB Core will directly support the Center's primary and pilot/seed 
projects, as well as the community of users within KSU and the regional scientific network (RSN), including 
faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students. The significant enhancement of the MCB Core facilities will also 
provide an excellent training ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10915414
- **Project number:** 5P20GM130448-05
- **Recipient organization:** KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Philip Ross Hardwidge
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $339,474
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10915414

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10915414, Molecular and Cellular Biology Core (5P20GM130448-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10915414. Licensed CC0.

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