Auburn will soon see a boost in its research capabilities with the addition of an MRI-capable facility.
The Auburn University Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center is the result of an agreement between the University and Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
The facility at Auburn University Research Park will contain a Siemens 7 Tesla (T) Investigational Device, which allows for the viewing of microscopic tissue metabolism.
It will also contain 3T MRI scanners, which aid in the diagnosis of pathological disorders.
"The project came about because of a funding opportunity," said Tom Denney, an associate electrical engineering professor who will conduct research with the center. "We decided that this unit would be a great way to spend that money. This has a lot of advantages for the College of Engineering because MRIs have tech problems that need to be solved and our engineers can do that."
The College of Engineering, Harrison School of Pharmacy and College of Science and Mathematics will head research with these new technologies.
This research, along with the center's business opportunities, is meant to create a new development platform to benefit the University and the state.
The 7T scanner will be a shielded whole body unit, the first of its kind in the world. The existence of such new technology in Auburn has prompted partnerships with East Alabama Medical Center, the UAB School of Medicine and China's Central South University.
The data generated by the MRI machines, as well as the technical issues both raised and corrected by the College of Engineering, will be exported worldwide, turning Auburn into a unique research and development hub. The center is hoped by both parties to be the first phase of a larger scheme to develop this resource and benefit Alabama and the Southeast.
"There are a lot of other groups on campus that can use the equipment," Denney said. "Campus as a whole can do research that we couldn't do before. We can now compete for grants that we couldn't previously compete for when we didn't have this equipment."
The center not only creates opportunities for the University, but also for AU Research Park in attracting tenants.
"This is a University facility that will go in the research park and we are very pleased to have it there," said John Weete, executive director of Auburn University Research Park. "This puts Auburn in the cutting edge of research with imaging that uses MRI technology. Hopefully this will bring attention not only to Auburn but to the park and be a catalyst to companies wishing to locate here in the park."
Among the park's planned additions is the Center for Advanced Science Innovation and Commerce, which is partially funded by a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This building will extend from the technological developments of the MRI center to, among other things, develop research programs for the College of Agriculture.
"This effort supports Alabama's goal of becoming known as a key state in advancing the biomedical frontier," said Auburn University President Jay Gogue. "We believe that this collaboration sets an example and establishes a precedent on which programs between Auburn University and other institutions, both private and public, can build to strengthen Alabama's future."
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