The GCRC has the following Core Lab, Histology and ImmunoCytology Support:

    Services:

• Performs specialized assays that are not available from routine clinical laboratories
• Helps to develop and validate assays
• Provide training to investigators, fellows, residents, students and technicians

    Specimen Collection:

• Processing and Shipping. Routine blood, urine specimen collection, processing and storage
• RBC washing and Leukocyte isolation (as pellet)
• HEMA 3 stain and Smears
• Sputum and Salivary epithelial cell collection, and counting

    Molecular-based Analysis:

• Extraction of DNA and RNA from PBMC, culture cells and tissues
• Long-term storage of patient samples for molecular analyses
• Basic recombinant DNA techniques, and probe preparation
• Help to design oligonucleotides for sequencing and mutational analyses
• Performance of DNA-based analyses (PCR, and RT-PCR assays)
• Southern, Northern, and Western blot analysis
• DNA sequencing by dideoxy chain termination
• Molecular genotyping (ApoE polymorphism)
• Agarose and Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and ELISA analysis
• Provision of consultative services to the investigators who wish to apply the tools of molecular biology to their research projects

    Histo-cyto-core:

• Histology
• Cytology Preparative Services and Cryo-preservation
• Immunostaining(tissues) and Immuno-phenotyping Interpretation

    Genomics-Proteomics core:

• Tissue laser microdissection
• Affimetrics chip profiles
• Antibody arrays for signal transduction and apoptosis
• Probing for specific mutations i.d. by DNA sequential analysis
• DNA Bank

    New research techniques to be available in the near future:

• PCR In Situ Hybridization; in development for HTLV-I/II
• Cytochrome P450 Molecular Genotyping (Pharmacogenetics)
• Differential Display (DD); standardized first with telomerase gene expression in cancerous tissues

Histology and ImmunoCytology Core Laboratory:
This Core Laboratory is a clinical and research laboratory under the direction of the Pathology Department at the Tulane University School of Medicine. It is an expanding laboratory currenlty staffed by an experienced ASCP certified histotechnologist. The lab is equipped to prepare cytospins, liquid overlay cultures and chamber slides for histology and immunostaining. The pathologists and histotechnologists have extensive experience developing both routinely used antibodies and signal transduction protein antibodies. In the near future a tissue arrayer will be available. A fee schedule is available upon request.

    Services:

• Processing of wet specimens in a Tissue-Tek instrument
• Tissue embedding
• Sectioning
• Immunostaining (manual and automated on a DAKO AutoStainer instrument)
• In situ hybridization is being developed and will soon be available