title: Laboratory of ion and second messenger imaging: a tribute to the memory of Erminio Costa.
abstract: When we lost Ermino Costa last year, the end of an era was marked. "Mimo" as we affectionately called him, was looked upon by scores of students, post-doctoral scholars and colleagues with respect and admiration and he was a scientific father figure to many. In this article I reflect upon his time at Georgetown University including his recruitment, formation and leadership of the Fidia-Georgetown Institute for Neuroscience (FGIN). The founding of FGIN created a focus upon neurosciences at the university and fostered many new collaborations. My laboratory became associated with the Institute and was involved in common interests concerning ion and second messenger studies and single cell imaging. Mimo's critical support of work and people during his long and illustrious career has significantly impacted not only neuroscience but the people who were so fortunate to have traveled with him along the road to many important and exciting discoveries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Microscopy Center, Johns Hopkins University, 9605 Medical Center Drive Suite 240, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. gbrooker@jhu.edu
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brooker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D002118:Calcium