Core Facilities for Biomarker Development and Analysis

Untargeted Metabolomic and Lipidomic analyses are available which includes sample preparation from multiple matrixes utilizing metabolite libraries to provide confident identification of over 500 compounds.  Statistical and profile analyses using R- and Metaboanalyst provide pathway enrichment and network analysis for pinpointing nodes of regulation.

Flow Cytometry services allow researchers to analyze and sort cells by differences in physiology, metabolism, morphology, and other characteristics including complex immune profiles. NanoString GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) enables morphology-driven, high-plex profiling on a single FFPE or fresh frozen tissue sections. This service provides spatially resolved, high-plex (10s -10,000s) digital quantitation of proteins or mRNA while maintaining integral information about tissue architecture and spatial relationships between cellular networks. The newly acquired CosMx also provides spatial proteomics or genomics information on the single-cell level.

Currently Banked Breast Cancer samples include FFPE (84), OCT frozen (103), Fresh frozen (11) and frozen for RNA (8). Collection of additional samples is ongoing. High-quality patient-derived ‘Organoids’ are produced from surgically collected fresh frozen tissue. These organoids are useful for evaluating cell-cell interactions within a 3D system and are scalable for drug discovery purposes.

Full Service Microscopy tools for cell and tissue analysis ranging from Super-resolution (STORM), Confocal (Laser scanning and Spinning Disk), Total Internal Reflectance and Multiphoton devices coupled with customized image processing and analysis workstations.

Power Analysis and Experimental Statistical Design, Data Analysis and Presentation are available.