NIH Reporter #2P20GM103475-24

Centralized Research Instrumentation Core

This award funds the Centralized Research Instrumentation Core under the Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence to enhance biomedical research capacity in Puerto Rico by providing access to advanced instrumentation, technical support, and collaborative opportunities across multiple subcores. The project aims to increase accessibility, user engagement, and research productivity from 2026 to 2031.

Description

The Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (PR-INBRE) Centralized Research Instrumentation Cores (CRI) aims to enhance biomedical research capacity across Puerto Rico by providing broad access to advanced instrumentation, technical support, and collaborative opportunities. The CRI integrates faculty, students, and postdoctoral researchers from the Lead Institution, PUIs, and Other Institutions (OIs), enabling interdisciplinary research across a wide range of biomedical disciplines. The CRI incorporates five well-established and strategically located subcores: the Sequencing and Genomics Facility at UPR-Río Piedras and UPR-Molecular Sciences Research Center, the ChemTox Biotesting Facility at the University Ana G. Méndez-Cupey campus, the Human Genetics and Genomics Subcore at the University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus (UPR-MSC), the Metabolomics Subcore at UPR-MSC, and the Translational Proteomics Center at UPR-MSC. These subcores house state-of-the-art instrumentation supported by experienced MS and PhD-level staff who provide scientific consultation, experimental design assistance, and data analysis. Over the next funding cycle (2026–2031), the CRI will implement new strategies to increase accessibility and usage, including digital outreach, targeted training, and alignment with the Developmental Research Project Program (DRPP) and Data Science Core (DSC) goals. Key innovations include scheduled core-wide training sessions, needs-based education modules, and expanded inter-core collaboration mechanisms. Each facility will also enhance capabilities through the acquisition of new instrumentation and analytical tools. The CRI will track milestones that include increased user engagement, higher research productivity (grants, publications), and expanded intra- and inter-state collaborations. Stronger integration with PR-INBRE components and external IDeA programs will foster a robust research environment, helping to elevate Puerto Rico's competitiveness in biomedical research. Ultimately, the CRI Core will catalyze new scientific discoveries that address local and national health priorities, while training a skilled biomedical workforce.

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