# Core-002: Structural and Compositional Assessment Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $165,554

## Abstract

Michigan Integrative Musculoskeletal Health Core Center – Core C 
Project Summary Project Summary 
Composition, architecture, and structure across physiological hierarchies, at the organ, tissue, 
matrix and nanoscale-levels, are key intermediate traits that link gene expression with functional 
outcomes; however, analysis of these traits requires advanced and costly instruments and 
supporting expertise in chemistry, engineering, and biomedical imaging. The Structural and 
Compositional Assessment Core (Core C) will provide access to the facilities and skilled 
knowledgeable experts necessary to quantify composition, architecture, and structure of all 
musculoskeletal tissues. Core C will include micro-Computed Tomography (µCT), nano- 
Computed Tomography (nano-CT), in-vivo micro-Computed Tomography (in-vivo µCT) and 
Raman spectroscopy as its major components. These technologies were chosen for their broad 
applicability and their large user base at the University of Michigan. Investigators at Michigan 
pioneered the use of µCT and Raman spectroscopy to study musculoskeletal tissues and are 
leaders in applying these technologies to solve musculoskeletal problems. Core C will leverage 
their expertise to support the current Research Community, both intellectually and financially, in 
performing structural and compositional analyses of all musculoskeletal tissues. Core C will also 
focus, as part of its mission, on expanding its offerings to enhance the opportunities available 
and to expand the Research Community. Four Aims are proposed: the Core will provide 
expertise and guidance on the design of experiments in Aim 1, and in Aim 2, access to state-of- 
the-art technologies and experts to allow quantification of tissue composition, architecture, and 
structure and training in these in methods. Further, in Aim 3, the Core will provide guidance with 
interpretation of results and make recommendations for future studies. Lastly, the overall goal of 
Aim 4 is to enable the research community through ongoing technology development and 
education. Genetic and/or environmental perturbations often lead to measureable changes in 
structure and architecture that have mechanical and other functional consequences. Therefore, 
accurately quantifying these traits is critical to advancing understanding of the mechanisms 
underlying musculoskeletal biology and health and to develop and evaluate strategies for the 
prevention and treatment of disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984287
- **Project number:** 5P30AR069620-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID H. KOHN
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $165,554
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984287

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984287, Core-002: Structural and Compositional Assessment Core (5P30AR069620-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984287. Licensed CC0.

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