Multi-dimensional Bioelectric mapping of Mouse Models of Cardiac Disease

Dr. Allen Johnson

The growth in mouse models of cardiovascular disease over the last three years has been nothing short of extraordinary. These models represent the clearest direction for connection of specific genotype to specific structural and functional phenotypes. This realization has in turn spawned the development of tools for effective studies of these models. Dr. Henriquez and his colleagues at Duke have developed sophisticated methods for measuring bioelectric potentials in a number of these models.

Recent collaboration with scientists at The Utah Resource has resulted in a sophisticated model of electrical activity in the mouse heart. At the same time, work at the Duke Center for in Vivo Microscopy has advanced the state of imaging in the mouse heart to support four-dimensional (three dimensions in space plus time) of the mouse heart using microCT. The global goal of the proposed collaboration between the Utah and Duke Resources is development of the infrastructure to allow multidimensional imaging and modeling through time and space in the mouse heart at isotropic spatial resolution of 100 microns and temporal resolution of 10 ms. The resulting imaging and modeling data sets will certainly challenge the Resources pushing the modeling, visualization and data management infrastructure. A single data set of 256x256x1024 image arrays at 10 time points in the cardiac cycle will produce a 10 GB array. Appropriate bioelectric models will require 5-10 million elements.

This is an entirely new collaboration, linked to our ongoing collaborative relationship with Dr. Craig Henriquez. Dr. Henriquez is a recognized leader in both the measurement and simulation of bioelectric activity in the mouse. The Duke Center for In Vivo Microscopy under Dr. Johnson's direction is a recognized leader in small animal imaging. Dr. Henriquez has already worked extensively directly with Dr. Hsu in the Duke facility. The proposed collaboration will bring together two world class NCRR resources with a highly respected expert in cardiovascular modeling to provide an exciting new direction to integrate structural, functional and bioelectric phenotypes.