This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The objectives of the Analytical Core Laboratory (ACL) are (1) providing supports for three pilot projects (Drs. Arslan, Gao, and Hossain) and contributing to the establishment of their research projects;(2) providing a comprehensive service system in order to provide a better service to the user community;(3) offering workshops for major equipment including LC/MS/MS, CE/MS/MS, LC-ICP/MS, Raman microscope system, and FT-IR as well as other conventional instruments at least once each semester;(4) acquiring three new instruments as well as computers and printers to satisfy the needs of the user community;(5) renovating two ACL lab rooms for accommodating new instruments, making the operation of ACL more efficient, and providing a safer environment for the ACL users;(6) expanding the role of the Analytical Users Committee for improving the service of ACL by maximizing our resources and establishing a solid system for cost recovery. During the current grant period, ACL has provided analytical services to principal investigators of pilot projects in the RCMI program as well as those in other programs. This laboratory has also been used for teaching chemical instrumentation class. Two new instruments including UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer and HPLC with auto sampler and both UV and fluorescence detectors have been purchased. The newly established Analytical Users Committee has been involved in selecting these two new instruments. In addition, six instruments including LC/MS/MS, two UV-Vis spectrometers, AA spectrometer, FT-IR, gas chromatograph(GC) have been repaired during this grant period. Two training sessions for the use of four instruments including FT-IR, HPLC, spectrofluorometer and UV-Vis spectrometers have also been offered. A more simplified cost recovery system has been implemented for generating over $10,000 of lab usage fees.