Summary The Histology Core at UND was established to improve the infrastructure supporting our successful implementation of the Phase 1 Center for Excellence in Host Pathogen Interactions COBRE at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The Core was developed to provide high quality instrumentation, tissue preparation, staining, image analysis services, and training in a wide spectrum of fundamental and advanced histological techniques to COBRE research investigators. The Core also provides access and support to non-COBRE investigators within and outside the UND SMHS, as well as those from institutions adjoining (USDA-Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center) and in neighboring cities (North Dakota State University, North Dakota primarily undergraduate institutions and tribal colleges). The Core remains essential for successful growth of the host pathogen interaction enterprise at UND and completing al four of the projects proposed in this Phase 2 renewal application. The Core evolved from being a primarily shared equipment facility with provided user training to now a complete drop off service facility for users across the UND campus. Multiple tissue sectioning and staining services coupled with whole slide brightfield or fluorescent imaging and image quantitation have made the Core invaluable to growth of the research enterprise at UND. In Phase 2, the Core will continue to assist COBRE team members and the broader UND/ND research community with experimental design specifically with regards to application-specific sample preparation techniques, identifying appropriate analytical tools available, resolution restrictions, and quantitative morphological techniques. The Core will also provide service, training, and instruction to COBRE and other users in all aspects of instrument use, safety, tissue sample preparation, and aid with trouble shooting all aspects of tissue preparation and analysis. Finally, the Core will implement a business plan that includes strategies to continue expanding the user base and provide fee-for-service assistance in all aspects of histo- and immunochemical detection methods and analyses, thus paving a way to long-term sustainability of the Core.