Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics
The Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics is located on the 20th floor of the Tidewater Building on
Canal Street and on the 3rd floor of the JBJ Building on Liberty Street, which houses the clinical section
and the molecular biology lab, respectively. The mission of the center is to promote bioinformatics,
computational biology, and translational research of human complex diseases/traits with the goal of
accelerating the pace of scientific discovery, reducing mortality and improving the quality of life. Current
research areas include:
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Analytical methodology development for linkage and association studies, genome-wide
association studies, next generation sequencing studies, and gene expression,
epigenenic/epigenomic, and proteomic studies.
Clinical, genetic epidemiologic, genomic and proteomic studies of human complex
diseases/traits, such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, obesity, periodontal diseases, and female
health related diseases/traits (e.g., age at menarche, age at menopause).
Genetic epidemiologic studies of psychological traits, such as smoking, alcohol drinking, and
exercise.
Molecular/cellular biological studies of multiple signaling and gene regulation pathways involved
in bone formation.
The Biostatistics Data Center provides data entry and management services to researchers both within
and outside of the Tulane community. Data entry services include data entry, data verification, quality
control and data delivery. Data management services include integration and collation of multiple files
and extraction of new datasets from large databases.
Department of Biostatistics
The Department of Biostatistics at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine is
housed in approximately 7,000 square feet of floor space in the Tidewater Building.
Computer workstations, printers, and plotters are all connected via network hubs connecting to a LAN
TCP/IP network 100 Base-T and VSAT 25KB uplinks to the Internet. The computer laboratory contains 64
machines interconnected via a Fast Ethernet local area network. Internet-II access is also available for
supporting high bandwidth connectivity to the Internet-II sites.
Dr. Ming Zhao
Dr. Zhao has a well-equipped laboratory (approx. 1,500 sq. ft.) on the third floor of the JBJ Building in
the Tulane Medical Center. As a faulty member of the Tulane Center for Bioinformatics and Genomeics
and Departments of Cell and Molecular Biology and Orthopedics, Dr. Zhao and his team have access to
these research resources which are fully equipped with research facilities for bone molecular biology
and animal studies. Equipment include: Labconco Purifier Logic Biological Safety Cabinet (Hood), Thermo
Scientific Locator Cryobiological Storage, Thermo Scientific Napco 8000 CO2 Incubator, Eppendorf 5702
Series Centrifuge (cell culture), VWR VistaVision Inverted Microscope (cell culture), Fisher Scientific
AccuSpin Micro 17 Microcentrifuge (bench top), Denver Instrument Timberline Analytical Balance
(0.1mg-60g), Denver Instrument MAXX Toploading Balance (0.1g-600g), Bio-Rad and Invitrogen gel
electrophoresis apparatus with Power Supplies, New Brunswick I-Series Incubating Shaker (bacterial
growth), BioTek Synergy HT Microplate Fluorescence Reader with BioTek Gen5 Data Collection and
Analysis Software, Shandon Finesse 325 Auto-Retracting Rotary microtome (histology). For
histomorphometry, VWR VistaVision EpiFluorescence Microscope is interfaced with Psteomeasure
histomorphometry software (Osteometric Inc., Decatur, GA).
Research facilities at the Tulane Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics are available and readily
accessible to the research staff. The related equipment includes: Amersham Pharmacia Biotech
MegaBACE model 500, ABI 310 automated DNA dequencer, ABI Prism 3100 DNA sequencer, Affymetrix
GeneChip® Instrument System, HP GeneArray® Scanner, Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer Desktop System, PEABI 9700 Thermal, Cyclers3844-well thermocycler, Tecan RSP 150 Robotic pipette system, ABI 7900HT
Fast Real-Time PCR System, Hewlett-Packard (HP) 1100 Automated, Quaternary LC3D HPLC systems,
RoboSniP 1600 Automated Workstation (MWG Biotech AG), Transgenomic WAVE System, Applied
Biosystems GeneAmp® PCR System 9700, Applied Biosystems 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System, Alpha
Innotech FluorChem FC2 Gel imaging system, Thermo Fisher Scientific NANODROP 1000 and Agilent
2100 Bioanalyzer (DNA/RNA/Protein detection), Thermo Fisher Scientific SORVALL Legend Centrifuge,
SpectraMax Plus384 High-Throughput Microplate Spectrophotometer and proteomic equipment
(Waters’ SYNAPT HDMS Mass Spectrometry System and Waters nanoACQUITY Ultra Performance Liquid
Chromatography System).