Scientific Report 2003-2004 - Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research ...

CENTRAL CELL SERVICES COREThe Central Cell Services Core was established in 1999 to provide cell services, media and solutionpreparation, glassware washing and sterilization for all investigators at the Lerner Research Institute andthe Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The services offered are efficient and convenient.The primary goal of the Cell Services laboratory is to provide researchers with large and smallquantities of healthy viable cells and a variety of specialized cell culture techniques. In 2000, thelaboratory purchased an incubator that maintains a constant temperature of 27° to provide bulkquantities of insect cell cultures. The Cell Core successfully transformed white blood cells with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The Cell Services Core has carried out work on several projects, such as insect cellculture, EBV transformations, roller-bottle cultures, mycoplasma testing and embryonic stem (ES) cellculture.As part of a quality control program, the cell services core is equipped with a Mycoplasma andQuarantine facility to ensure that the cells provided are of the highest quality. Cells are originally fromthe American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), grown in media prepared by the media laboratory, frozenat an early passage and are routinely tested for mycoplasma and iso-enzyme analysis to ensure cells arecontaminant free. The Core tests for and eradicates mycoplasma from cell cultures. To date, the cellservices core has carried out mycoplasma testing for all departments of the Lerner Research Institute.The Media preparation facility is a convenient and economical service offered to investigators atthe LRI and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. This facility continues to steadily increase its volumeoutput. Prior to release, each batch of prepared media undergoes quality control testing for a two-weekperiod to ensure quality and sterility. In addition to a variety of quality-controlled tissue culture andbacteriological media, the laboratory provides balanced salt solutions, buffers and tissue culture reagents.The media laboratory has also accommodated special order requests such as custom media, packaging andshipment of media/solutions to other institutions.The glassware facility offers glass washing and sterilization of all types of glassware and pipettesfrom the laboratories and maintains stocks of all types of sterile glassware in a common storage area.The glasswash core also offers an autoclaving service. Biological indicators are used in the sterilizationprocess to ensure proper sterilization has been reached.CENTRAL CELLSERVICES COREMANAGERCarmel BurnsSUPPORT PERSONNELLaquitta AndersonDorothy BanksMilagros BranchPamela ClarkArlene DuncanGloria Hunter-RodgersNatasa PopovicDora SimmsWeizhen WangLinda WashingtonCarolyn YoungGENE EXPRESSION COREWebsite: http://www.lerner.ccf.org/services/cell/The Gene Expression Core was established in 1998. The primary goal was to allow researchersaccess to state-of-the-art microarray technology for large-scale gene expression analysis. The Affymetrixsection of the Gene Expression Core has teamed up with the Affymetrix group at Case Western ReserveUniversity to provide expanded capacity and services to all Cleveland investigators. Drs. Martina Veigland Patrick Leahy, who oversee operations of the CWRU facility, have presented talks for investigatorsat CCF and, together with Dr. Colmenares, plan to offer a course on analysis of microarray data at CCF.Expanded software options for analysis of microarray data are provided both at CCF and theCWRU Affymetrix service; these include GeneSpring, Spotfire, and Microarray Suite. The AffymetrixMicro DB and Data Mining Tool are also available on computers at both institutions.The CCF Core also provides an ABI 7700 Sequence Detection System, used for real-timequantitative PCR. The instrument is widely used by numerous investigators at CCF.GENE EXPRESSIONCOREDIRECTORClemencia Colmenares, Ph.D.Website: http://info.lerner.ccf.org/services/genechip/PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES COREThe Photographic Services Core provides traditional and digital photography services with anemphasis on the rapid turnaround for research materials required for grants, publications, and presentationsby members of the Lerner Research Institute. The comprehensive services offered include copyingof gels, slides, and other hard copy, processing of microscopy films, and production of black/white orcolor slides and publication-quality prints.The Core uses digital photographic processing to supplement its traditional “wet-chemistry”services. The principal function of the facility is the production of publication-quality color or black/white prints and slides from files generated by either Macintosh- or PC-compatible computers. Digitalscanning of 35-mm slides, gels, and other hard copy for printing or transformation to a computerreadablefile is also available. Consultation on typographic and other technical issues is offered to allinvestigators.PHOTOGRAPHICSERVICES CORESUPPORT PERSONNELJames Lang187