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Core Laboratories and Services Provided:

Virtual Tour

The core laboratories have been established with funds provided by Tulane University Health Sciences Center, HCA, the Health Care Company and Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium, Inc. We would like to make the services available to all scientists supported by the Consortium and to all academic scientists in this geographic region. For some of the services of the Core, we of necessity must make a charge. For others, there will be no charge for either uses or special situations in which scientists need preliminary data for grant applications.

Brief description of our core laboratories and the services they can provide:

A. Morphology Cores

1. DNA Sequencing. We have two ABI 3100 16-capillary sequencers that have been producing superb results. The sequencers have a large capacity, far larger than we in our Center can use. Justin Manges (504-988-7063) is ready to provide DNA sequencing for anyone at Tulane or in the general vicinity. He can also provide excellent advice in DNA template issues and designing primers to carry out sequencing.

2. DNA Diagnostics. The core carries out very specialized mutation detection for diseases of the skeleton. We have been offering diagnoses of mutations causing osteogenesis impefecta on a fee-for-service basis for many years. The technology was largely developed in our own laboratory and involves a protocol that make it possible to quickly scan multi-exon genes and find the appropriate PCR product to sequence. Please call (504-988-7706) for any questions about the DNA Diagnostics laboratory.

3. Microscopy Core. The Core supplies access to a series of microscopes that include visible light microscopy and ultraviolet microscopy. Dr. Phinney has just had installed a three-dimensional deconvolution microscope that promises to be better and easier to use than a confocal microscope. It makes it possible to collect sharply focused images of sections and then reconstitute cells and other structures in three dimensions. One of the microscopes is also equipped with a computerized stage and environmental chamber that makes it possible to follow the growth and differentiation of cells in culture in real time. We recently puchased a spinning disc microscope.

4. Flow Cytometry Core. Our Flow Cytometry Core lab is equipped with the most advanced instruments available on the market today. We have a Becton-Dickinson FACSVantage SE cell sorter with 3 lasers plus most of the options offered for this model including TURBO-MACRO sort and Clone-cyte cell deposition hardware. We have also recently added a Beckman-Coulter benchtop phenotyper to help handle our increasing use of this technology. The core is operated and administered by Alan Tucker (504-988-7741), and is offered to outside investigators when time is available.

B. Stem Cell/Vector Cores

1. Microarray Core. Justin Manges (504-988-7063) have an operational Affymetrix microarray instrument for assays of mRNAs. They have already produced some very exciting results with it. They would like investigators to bring their samples of cells to him so that they would carry out the extraction of the RNA and the labeling. They would then provide the data. We think the Affymetrix instrument has an advantage over competing instruments because it uses specifically designed oligonucleotides instead of cDNAs. However, the chips cost about a thousand dollars each and the reagents are expensive. Also, it is frequently necessary to run duplicates. Therefore, the best strategy is to use the Affymetrix chips to identify mRNAs of interest and make a cheaper cDNA chip for genes of special interest.

2. Circular Dichroism Spectro polarimeter Core. This instrument provides a rather elegant assay of the conformation of macromolecules.

3. Biosensor Assay Core. The Fison instrument is simpler to use than the Pharmacia BioCore. These instruments give real time assays of on rates and off rates as well as equilibrium constance. The data are elegant but some care must be taken as to the chemical steps involved in binding the first ligand to the solid support.

4. Cell Culture And Repository Core. We have set up a suite of three tissue culture rooms to handle a modestly large volume of cultured cells. We welcome occasional use by any faculty member, but we are not certain as yet how much of the capacity of this Core will be available for sharing. The cell repository in the Core contains almost 2,000 samples of cells from patients with a variety of diseases.

5. Laser-Assisted Microscopy Core. Justin Manges (504-988-7063) operate an elegant instrument for laser dissection of single cells from microscopic slides. The instrument is a P.A.L.M. that we think is much superior to competing instruments from other companies. It is fast and a delight to use.

6. Real-Time PCR Core. Dr. Donald Phinney (504-988-7725) has set up a real time PCR assay machine from ABI. Although I was originally skeptical about some of the claims made by the company, the instrument does provide quantitative assays of either messenger RNA levels and of rare DNA sequences. A key to proper use of the instrument is the design of the necessary probes. Don Phinney can provide expert assistance in the designing of these.