Bioinformatics Program – Bruce Luxon, Ph
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CORE LABORATORIES Core Program (Link to Brief Description) Bioinformatics Program Web Page Link Director or Manager Department http://www.bioinfo.utmb.edu/ Bruce Luxon, PhD Dean of Medicine Microbiology & Immunology Biomedical Imaging Network Optical Microscopy Core (OMC) www.utmb.edu/oil Biomolecular Resource Facility (BRF) Protein Chemistry Section http://www.utmb.edu/brf/ Biosynthesis & Biomarker Core Peptide Synthesis Core Massoud Motamedi PhD Leoncio Vergara, Adrianna Paulucii Alex Kurosky, PhD Dean of Medicine Alex Kurosky, PhD Bo Xu, PhD BRF Stefan Serabyn BRF J. Stephen Smith BRF John Wiktorowicz, PhD BRF http://www.utmb.edu/brf/cores/SeparationsT echnology/index.html http://www.utmb.edu/brf/cores/ProteomicsBi oinformatics/index.html http://www.utmb.edu/brf/cores/MassSpectro metry/index.html http://www.its.utmb.edu/resources/biostatisti cs_and_design.html John Wiktorowicz, PhD BRF Kizhake Soman, PhD BRF Tony Haag, PhD BRF Dan Freeman, PhD Environmental Exposure Facility http://intranet.utmb.edu/scehm/inhalation_to xicology.htm Bill Ameredes, PhD Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Institute for Translational Research (ITS) ITS Clinical Research Center Core and Imaging Laboratory http://microbiology.utmb.edu/core/flowcore/ Jiaren Sun, PhD Preventive Medicine & Community Health (PMCH) Sealy Center for Environ-mental Health & Medicine Microbiology & Immunology http://www.its.utmb.edu/ Allan Brasier http://www.its.utmb.edu/resources/translatio nal_technologies.html Research Histopathology Core http://www.utmb.edu/pathology/research/ histopathology/default.asp Melinda SheffieldMoore, PhD Thomas Wood, PhD Judy Aronson, MD Pathology Biostatistics Shared Service http://www.utmb.edu/Cancer/biostatcore/ TBN Cancer Center The Oncology Clinical Trials Office (OCTO) http://www.utmb.edu/cancer/ Cancer Center Rodent in vivo Assessment Core (RIVA) Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine Cores None Avi Markowitz, MD (DIR) Cheryl Proctor (Mgr) Kelly Dineley, PhD Allan Brasier, MD DOM Protein Chemistry Core http://www.utmb.edu/brf/cores/ProteinSynth esis/index.html http://www.utmb.edu/brf/cores/PeptideSynth esis/index.html http://www.utmb.edu/brf/cores/ProteinChemi stry/index.html Proteomics Section Separations Technology Core Proteomics Bioinformatics Core Mass Spectrometry Core Biostatistics Molecular Genomics Last Modified: 1/23/2012 http://www.scmm.utmb.edu/genomics/ Thomas Wood, PhD Pharmacology Sealy Center for Molecular 1 Core Program (Link to Brief Description) Web Page Link Director or Manager Department Medicine Recombinant DNA Lab Sealy Center for Structural Biology (SCSB) Cores Computational Biology http://www.scmm.utmb.edu/cores/rdl/rdl.htm Thomas Wood, PhD http://scsb.utmb.edu/ Wayne Bolen, Ph.D., Director http://scsb.utmb.edu/facilities/cb.htm Wayne Bolen, PhD, Director Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine Dean of Medicine SCSB David Power, Manager Cryo Electron Microscopy Solution Biophysics NMR Spectroscopy X-ray Crystallography Synthetic Organic Chemistry http://cryoem.utmb.edu/ http://sbl.utmb.edu/ http://nmr.utmb.edu/ http://xray.utmb.edu/ http://www.utmb.edu/socc/ Michael Sherman, PhD Luis Holthauzen, PhD Tianzhi Wang, PhD Mark White, PhD Richard Hodge, PhD Tissue Culture Core Facility http://microbiology.utmb.edu/tccf/index.html Rolf Konig, PhD SCSB SCSB SCSB SCSB Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine/NIESH Center Microbiology & Immunology RESTRICTED CORES Galveston National Laboratory http://www.utmb.edu/gnl/ James W. LeDuc, Ph.D. Aerobiology None Assay Development http://www.utmb.edu/gnl/research/assayDev .pdf http://www.utmb.edu/gnl/research/exPath.p df http://www.utmb.edu/gnl/research/imaging.p df None http://www.utmb.edu/gnl/research/Insectary Services.pdf http://www.utmb.edu/gnl/research/PreClinic al1120111.pdf http://www.utmb.edu/gnl/research/regulator y.pdf http://www.utmb.edu/cbeid/safety.shtml Johnny Peterson, PhD Nigel Bourne, PhD Experimental Pathology Imaging Immunology Insectary Services Preclinical Studies Regulatory Services Shope BSL 4 Core Lab Sealy Center for Environmental Health & Medicine Pepper Center Cores OAIC Tracking and Evaluation OAIC Administrator Last Modified: 1/23/2012 http://www.utmb.edu/scoa/pepper/cores.asp http://www.utmb.edu/scoa/pepper/index.asp Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) GNL GNL David Walker, MD GNL Massoud Motamedi, PhD (acting) GNL Stephen Higgs, PhD GNL GNL Slobodan Paessler, PhD David Beasley, PhD GNL Alexander Freiberg, PhD Istvan Boldogh, DM&B, PhD IHII Elena Volpi, MD, PhD; James S. Goodwin, MD Jean Freeman, PhD Sealy Center on Aging Tony DiNuzzo, PhD Pepper Center GNL NIEHS Center Pepper Center 2 Clinical Research Resource Core Muscle Biology Resource Core Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core Research and Career Development Core Glenn Ostir, PhD Co-Leader: Elizabeth Protas, PhD, PT Elena Volpi, MD, PhD; Co-Leader John Papaconstantinou PhD Blake Rasmussen PhD; Co-Leaders Melinda SheffieldMoore, PhD and James Goodwin, MD Ken Ottenbacher, PhD; Co-Leaders: Kyriakos Markides, PhD and James Goodwin, MD Pepper Center Pepper Center Pepper Center Pepper Center Resources: Core Facilities The Biomedical Informatics Program has labs and offices in the Dockside Building, the Basic Science Building, Children’s Hospital, John Sealy Hospital, and the Medical Research Building. Staff includes the Program Director (Prof. Luxon), an administrative assistant, 7 faculty members (as well as their staff), 7 senior staff, and 5 regular and junior staff. We also have several casual BioIT Team members drawn from the institutional IT force on an ad hoc basis when special skills are required that are not otherwise available within the Team. Our mission is to provide expertise, training, access to high-end hardware and software, and analytical support in BMI to researchers. This includes high-level multivariate analysis, data mining, developing analytical software and web-based relational databases, and data management. Hardware, software, and web and data management support services are provided through our BioIT Team. We collaborate with a wide range of scientific and clinical projects which use genomics, all forms of proteomics, metabolomics, kinomics, and systems biology in their research. Our efforts are strongly focused on systems biology and signaling pathways with a special emphasis on the incorporation of clinical data into these analyses for greater translational impact. The BMI Bio-IT Team is responsible for EMR data extractions and the i2b2 operation at UTMB. We have also added a substantial research effort in network visualization for analysis of biomedical data, with translation of the results to the design of decision-support systems and improving the computer/user interface. We are finished the development of our Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) bioinformatics support core which will go into full service late spring 2011. We are exceptionally well-equipped for computationally demanding projects. We recently added a dedicated Dell Linux cluster with 17 state-of-the-art Intel Xeon 5650 nodes giving a total of 192 processors with 408 GB RAM running the RedHat Linux OS. This substantially improves our computational support for NGS bioinformatics as well as all other computationally intensive efforts. We also have a Sun Microsystems SunFire 4800 server with 12 UltraSparc III 1050MHz CPU and 24GB RAM as our data mining server, as well as a number of unix and PC workstations for data analysis. Most BMI faculty and staff also have a high-end Dell laptop for their personal use. We have nearly 50TB of disk space contained within a highly-scaleable storage area network system (SAN). The SAN is a level 5 RAID hot-swappable disk system with a robotic tape backup. The SAN, the Oracle RDBMS, and web services are controlled by a SunFire V880 server with 4x1050MHz CPU and 8GB of RAM. We have virtually every kind of peripheral equipment necessary for state of the art BMI operations. We use Splus as our primary statistics engine, MatLab as our modeling engine, and Oracle 10g as our primary RDBMS. MS SQLserver, MySQL, PHP, .NET, and SAS and R are also available and widely used. Web content is served via Apache and Tomcat, as is our locally-written GUI to the RDBMS. We are fully integrated over a 1 gigabit Ethernet LAN with full WiFi capability. For projects with computational demands beyond our capabilities we have full access to the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at UT Austin. TACC is one of the largest and most advanced HPC centers in the world. We routinely perform graphical 2 and 3D visualization of genomics and proteomics data, a wide range of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, and various cluster and data reduction analyses. We have a number of site licenses for important software suites such as MatLab (including the Bioinformatics Toolbox, SimuLink, and SimBiology), the Affymetrix Microarray Suite 5.0/GCOS, and a number of concurrent licenses for the Ingenuity Pathways Analysis suite with full access to their knowledge bases. We have licenses for several major proteomics packages including Nonlinear’s Progenesis and Progenera, Genologic’s Proteomics and Genomics LIMS, Ciphergen’s ProteinChip 3.2 with Biomarker Last Modified: 1/23/2012 3 Wizard, Ciphergen Express 3.0 (CE) and Biomarker Patterns 4.0 for SELDI MS proteomics and biomarker discovery. We have phylogeny programs including PAUP and BEAST. For classification and biomarker discovery projects we have the CART (Classification and Regression Trees), RandomForests and MARS (Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines) packages from Salford Systems as well as Support Vector Machines and other machine learning software. For NGS bioinformatics analysis and data mining we have an increasingly large base of installed software on our Dell Linux cluster including the state of the art CLC Genomics Server, CLC Genomics Workbench, and the CLC Bioinformatics database from CLCbio. Biomedical Imaging Network is a single institutionally-based cost recovery center that will provide the expertise and resources needed to effectively integrate and utilize imaging sciences and technology with basic and translational research within UTMB and Texas. Currently, the Biomedical Imaging Network will provide resources and services for two major areas: 1) optical microscopy and cellular imaging and 2) small animal imaging. The optical Microscopy core is equipped with a wide range of instruments that can be used for advanced cellular imaging; live cell imaging and intravital optical microscopy. The Animal Imaging core is equipped with Inveon Micro-PET-CT-SPECT imaging system; Visualsonics whole-body high resolution ultrasound imaging for small animals; high resolution optical endoscopy using in vivo fluorescence confocal imaging and optical coherence tomography for small and large animal studies; and IVIS 200 bioluminescent and fluorescence whole-body imaging workstation. The Biomedical Imaging Network is directed by Dr. Massoud Motamedi. Dr. Gracie Vargas and Dr. Rinat Esenaliev are available to provide technical expertise for advanced optical microcopy and ultrasound imaging, respectively. The Optical Microscopy and Cellular Imaging Core assists with high-resolution imaging and analysis of specimens, including those exposed to infectious agents and/or treated with toxic substances. Agents with infectivity can be accepted up to biosafety level 2, and fixed specimens lacking infectivity will be accepted for any infectious agent authorized on the UTMB campus. The OIC is equipped with a Zeiss LSM 510 UV META laser scanning confocal microscope, a large format fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Axiophot 2) with attached high-resolution digital camera and a SLM 4800S life-time spectrofluorometer. The confocal microscope includes: an Axiovert 200M microscope; dry, water-, and oil-immersion highresolution objectives for fluorescence and Normarski differential interference contrast observation; Ar, dual HeNe, and UV lasers; fluorescence filter sets for DAPI, FITC, TRITC, INDO-1, and SNARF; a scanning module with visible and UV acousto optical tunable filters, two independent fluorescence channels (2 PMTs), a 32-PMT array; and a stage incubator. This instrument is equipped for high-resolution detection of cellular and infectious agent-specific proteins and in particular for monitoring changes in their volume distribution relative to changes in physiologic parameters. A high-speed computer (Dell 530 work station with dual 1.8 GHz xeon processors) work station with two monitors and software for physiology, scan and 3-D imaging supports the image analysis activities within the OIC. Optical Imaging Laboratory has digital imaging systems that include confocal and wide-field optical microscopes: last generation Zeiss LSM 510 confocal microscope and spectral imager, capable of multicolor three dimensional fluorescence imaging for colocalization; fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and multispectral analysis of single cells or thick specimens. An advanced semiautomatic wide field imaging system is capable of quantitative time lapse studies combining multiple microscopy modes simultaneously. The upright wide field imaging system is equipped with color and monochrome digital CCD cameras, ideal for studies of fixed samples using color bright field, phase contrast, DIC and multicolor fluorescence. Image processing and analysis: The facility has 4 PC stations equipped with Metamorph and Image J imaging, and other graphical software. Fully assisted or independent operation: depending on user needs, we provide complete support for microscopy sessions as well as image processing and analysis; however we also allow more experienced users to perform their own experiments and observations. The lab is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Online services are available via our website under “support and customization.” Training, supervision and consulting: We offer training on microscopy and digital imaging. Other equipment and services are available upon request. For example, we can install perfusion systems, temperature recording and control, micromanipulators and patch clamp recording setups. The Biomolecular Resource Facility (BRF), A. Kurosky, Director, is a UTMB-designated core facility providing research support targeted to the analysis of biomolecules, especially proteins and peptides. Originated in 1975, the facility has grown considerably to meet the analytical needs of UTMB investigators. The BRF is composed of 7 core laboratories whose services are briefly outlined below. A more complete description of BRF services can be found at www.utmb.edu/brf. The BRF overarching philosophy is to provide, at reasonable cost, biomedical researchers with a relevant menu of analytical services that will enhance their funded research projects and the quality of their publications. Importantly, the BRF puts considerable effort into obtaining major state-of-the-art instrumentation too expensive for individual investigators. Researchers are encouraged to interact closely with BRF personnel to obtain maximum benefit of services. User fees are minimal, compared with other institutions, largely due to support from several UTMB centers, e.g. NHLBI Proteomics Center, NIAID Clinical Proteomics Center, NIEHS Center, and the Sealy Center for Environmental Last Modified: 1/23/2012 4 Health and Medicine. The BRF occupies 6,461 square feet, distributed among 12 laboratories and 7 offices in the Basic Science Building along with 588 square feet of three office suites on the 1 st floor. The current scientific staff includes 18 individuals (1 M.D./Ph.D., 8 PhD, 3 MS, 6 BS). Biosynthesis & Biomarker Core – Services include a) biosynthesis of recombinant proteins in bacteria or yeast cultures; b) protein purification and characterization; and c) polyclonal antibody production. Mass Spectrometry Core - Services are a) MALDI – TOF/TOF MS/MS analysis; b) electrospray ionization MS/MS analysis, including liquid chromatography (LC/MS/MS); c) protein ID analysis; d) post-translational modification identifications, and e) stable isotope methods (e.g. iTRAQ and 18 O). Peptide Synthesis Core - Offers a) FMOC automated solid phase synthesis; b) peptide purification, and c) peptide mass analysis. . Protein Chemistry Core - Provides a) DNA sequencing; b) protein sequencing; c) amino acid analysis, and d) carbohydrate analysis. . Proteomics Bioinformatics Core – Provides a) nonlinear 2D gel analysis; b) Genologics LIMS for data/sample management and access, and c) database searching. Separations Technology Core – Provides a) HPLC analysis; b) 1D and 2D gel electrophoreses; c) fluorescence gel staining and imaging, and d) robotic gel spot picking and processing for MS analysis. The Office of Biostatistics (OBIOS) provides statistical support services to all faculty at UTMB, including designing studies that minimize the effects of measurement and experimental error, identifying appropriate methods for data analysis based on statistically sound designs, producing power calculations, and determining sample. OBIOS uses the computer packages such as NCSS® and SAS, statistical applications with extensive data management capabilities. Adaptation and development include quantitative research that will produce improved methods and procedures to analyze and interpret biomedical data. This usually occurs during a long-term collaboration between a UTMB researcher and a member of the Office of Biostatistics. Special services are available to assist with the conceptualization, formulation, design, and use of data gathering tools. The Environmental Exposure Facility provides state-of-the-art capabilities for conducting exposures of experimental animals and in vitro models to gas phase environmental toxicants. A service core of the UTMB Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine, it supports all UTMB investigators and students on a fee-for-service basis. In addition, the facility provides a foundation for inter-institution collaborative investigations. The facility is housed in an 800 square foot, three-room suite. In addition to a room for exposure chambers, an animal housing room and a room for conducting in-vitro exposure of cells in culture make up the facility. Four 0.8 M3 stainless steel Hinnars-type exposure chambers are available for exposure of small laboratory animals to low concentrations of gas phase chemicals. The facility is equipped for studies using organic chemical vapors, ozone or nitrogen dioxide. The chambers receive filtered, air-conditioned, building air at a rate of 30 chamber changes per hour. Regulation of gas concentration is accomplished using mass flow controllers. Organic vapor concentrations are monitored by gas chromatography. Concentrations of ozone or nitrogen dioxide are determined by dedicated gas monitors. The suite is maintained under negative pressure relative to the surrounding building spaces to insure that any exchange of air is from the building into the facility, which also has safety interlocks that shut down gas and air flow in the event of a power interruption or if a smoke detector is triggered. The in vitro exposure facility uses similar equipment to deliver gases to small glass chambers placed on tilt tables in cell culture incubators. The Flow Cytometry Core Facility in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology is located in the Medical Research Building room 3.159. It is directed by Dr. Jiaren Sun, Associate Professor in the Department. Its daily operation is managed by Mark Griffin and assisted by Dr. Lifei Hou. Mark is an expert in flow cytometry and cell sorting with many years of experience. Lifei is a talented immunologist, highly competent in experimental design, instrumentation, data analysis, and assay development. The facility is equipped with one high-speed cell sorter as well as three analyzers suitable for various tasks and levels of user friendliness. The BD LSRFortessa and FacsCanto are advanced analyzers that can detect 18 and 6 colors, respectively. The Fortessa offers automatic sample loading with a 96 well plate reader that allows for walk-away use. The Canto has a carousel loader with similar convenience features. The third analyzer, Accuri C6, is capable of detecting 4 colors, and is particularly user friendly. All analyzers are available to independent users with 24/7 access. Users can acquire necessary hands-on skills either through formal or informal training or attending one of our training sessions (to be announced later). The BD FacsAria is available to users as an operator-assisted sorter, which can separate cells into tubes, plates, or slides at high speed. Direct cloning of sorted cells into tissue culture plates is also possible under aseptic conditions. In addition to its cell sorting functionality, it is capable of 9-color analysis in its present configuration. Last Modified: 1/23/2012 5 The flow lab can also provide assistance with protocol development and implementation, as well as data analysis and presentation. The data from the Aria, Fortessa and Canto are available campus-wide over the university's intranet for 1 month, such that investigators may analyze and store data in their own labs. For scheduling work, users may email flow.cytometry@utmb.edu or call 409-747-2011. The operator’s assistance is available 9-5 daily. A schedule with instrument availability is kept on http://microbiology.utmb.edu/core/flowcore for user planning and service reservation. The Accuri C6 is for users requiring no assistance available on a first-come first-served basis. The Institute for Translational Sciences (ITS) and the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) The ITS and its collaborators work to enhance the scope of translational research at UTMB by creating an environment for rapid translation of basic research into diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and to facilitate the full spectrum of translational research, from T1 (bench to bedside) through T4 (community research, outcomes, adoption of best practices). The ITS is the academic home of UTMB’s CTSA, designed to facilitate translational research as a rigorous discipline, develop translational research training programs, conduct early phase translational research and extend translation to later phases, and interface with a national consortium of CTSA institutions. We have organized our CTSA as 12 “Key Resources”, aggregations of established university core laboratories and existing and new intellectual resources. Because of their importance to translational research, several of UTMB’s core laboratories and centers of excellence are administered in partnership with the ITS and CTSA. These include the: Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine, General Clinical Research Center, Bioinformatics Program, Recombinant DNA Laboratory, and Biomolecular Resource Facility. Coordinating Core: Assists in addressing logistical, administrative and communications barriers to conducting multidisciplinary, team-based research. Serves as a single point of contact for investigators and trainees interested in translational research Facilitates communication among multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs) and CTSA Key Resources Maintains a pool of study coordinators Communicates the availability, significance and results of trials Novel Methodologies: Helps investigators develop novel research approaches and enables use of tools and technologies for solving human health problems. Facilitates integration of advanced imaging techniques for diagnosing disease and for monitoring the safety and efficacy of new therapeutic interventions Builds and deploys infrastructure for image acquisition, image analysis, visualization & data management software tools Leads the “Catalysts for Innovation Leadership Council”. Awards pilot funding for new methodologies that accelerate translational research and product development Pilot and Collaborative Studies: Supports pilot projects, projects involving novel methodologies and collaborative studies that will have a significant impact on clinical and translational research. Provides financial support for multidisciplinary teams, individual investigators and trainees engaged in translational research Supports the creation of new research teams by funding projects to collect preliminary data leading to independent funding at the equivalent of an R01 level or higher Translational Technologies and Resources: Facilitates acquisition, understanding and the use of technologies that enable effective translational research. Provides expertise in sample collection, handling and processing to ensure high quality clinical data outcomes Ensures that data is accurately managed and translated Facilitates use of standard protocols Provides access to biorepository Provides access to the Biomolecular Resource Facility Assists with technology acquisition, development, data analysis, and quality assurance Biomedical Informatics: Provides a multi-investigator, multi-institutional environment for sharing biomedical data and establishing a deep data-mining collaborative infrastructure. Provides tools and personnel to significantly improve your ability to capture and analyze data efficiently, effectively and securely Ensures innovation in data collection and analysis Provides expertise in deep data mining which enables improved IP discovery Provides clinical informatics expertise to facilitate significant new innovations Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design: Works with investigators to enhance the efficiency and quality of research by providing integrated statistical support. By proactively engaging in the research development process, we help clinical and translational investigators in research design and analysis. Last Modified: 1/23/2012 6 Provides expertise in biostatistics, epidemiology and research design Facilitates web-based collection of data to capture costs and outcomes to assure estimation of efficiency (T3) Provides a link to the Medical Bioinformatics system and EMR Improves the design and implementation of evaluation Provides integrated study statistical analysis and sample size planning Ensures variance minimization Increases understanding of the impact of common cause variation. Regulatory Knowledge and Support. Expedites implementation of your research by helping you navigate the complex regulatory environment. Our services and tools are comprehensive and researcher-focused and are designed to remove institutional impediments to research. Identifies and disseminates best practices and system improvements for regulatory management and compliance Assures compliance, so that data can be used for publications, FDA applications, etc… Protects the integrity of your research Develops study-specific SOPs Completes and manages IND applications Facilitates translation of informed consent documents into Spanish Registers studies at: www.clinicaltrials.gov Complete IRB documents Assures adherence to Data Safety Monitoring Plans / Boards Clinical Research Center: Provides modern equipment and experienced personnel to support your inpatient and outpatient studies. Offers training in clinical research Assists with subject recruitment Provides access to multiple clinical research sites Hosts outpatient and inpatient stays Schedules patients Provides nursing and dietary support Collects blood, saliva and tissue samples Provides access to a metabolic kitchen and metabolic cart Provides access to underwater weighing, exercise equipment, and DEXA imaging Community Engagement and Research: Advances population-based translation of science by establishing and maintaining infrastructure to represent community interests among prospective researcher partners. We can also support your linkages to community partners, and coordinate use of relevant community assets. Provides education in the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Maintains and coordinates a multidisciplinary Practice-Based Research Network Facilitates relationships with community partners interested in participating in research opportunities Familiarizes research teams with the work of other researchers or clinicians working with community groups Identifies opportunities for collaboration Disseminates the results of research to public health and policy-making entities as well as community groups Assists with preparation of NIH proposals that require community engagement components Research Education, Training and Career Development: Enhances trainee quality and productivity by developing and integrating activities and programs at many levels. Our goal is to support biomedical scientists with the skills to become productive members of MTTs. Identifies and recruits qualified students and trainees at the doctoral and postdoctoral level (MD and PhD) and provides them with research experiences and curricula for developing skills in translational and clinical research Implements the ITS Translational Scholars program, to help faculty establish careers in interdisciplinary translational and clinical research Ethics and Support: Provides expertise and education in research ethics and research integrity and assists in developing ethically sound protocols and practices that enhance subject safety and rights. Integrates knowledge of best practices and engage teams in discussion of ethical issues Increases understanding of emerging issues (e.g., incidental findings, specimen storage, re-identification of data, etc.) Ensures that your research respects the autonomy of study participants Assesses the risks and benefits of your research Helps researchers explore the social value of their research Helps researchers avoid the therapeutic misconception in the informed consent process Enhances privacy and confidentiality in data registries Assists with protocol design, consent, and recruitment Facilitates IRB approval process Last Modified: 1/23/2012 7 Assists with problem-solving and conflict-resolution Deepens partnerships between ethics and science Maintains focus on beneficial health outcomes Provides advice on research integrity Tracking and Evaluation: Assists researchers by providing training in program evaluation and team building Develops evaluation processes Enhances the tracking of team progress Clarifies challenges and growth opportunities related to team development The Research Histopathology Core (RHC) occupies 2800 square feet of laboratory space in the Basic Science Building, and provides analytical morphology related services to the research teams and educational programs at UTMB. The facility is equipped with the latest available instrumentation and operated by highly skilled personnel, who can assist with tissue preparation, Immunohistochemistry including assay optimization, image analysis, digital photomicrography, anatomical consultation, and Insitu Hybridization. RHC provides an expanded service including coordinated histopathology support services or develop special protocols to fit your research needs for investigators engaged in research in emerging diseases. We look forward to providing these services to fit your research needs and yield high quality results. Research Technology Support (RTS) repairs and maintains laboratory equipment, such as centrifuges, incubators, physiological monitors, scales, microscopes, etc. RTS also provides preventive maintenance and electrical safety inspections. Through the complete machine shop, with CNC capabilities, RTS also works with investigators to fabricate structures in Lexan, Plexiglas, standard and exotic metals for specialized research needs. The Rodent In Vivo Assessment (RIVA) Core was established by the Center for Addiction Research to facilitate the advancement of interdisciplinary and translation research on and off-campus. We provide rodent models for analyses of new transgenic mice and rats, as well as a wide variety of research tools ideal for drug discovery and evaluation of chemical entities for therapeutic potential. Our facilities include 12 behavioral procedure rooms equipped with state-of-the-art computer driven data collection apparati, three animal holding facilities and a surgical suite. Multiple assays are available, and can be adapted to many questions. Services range from consultation and training to study design, execution, data analysis and interpretation. For researchers interested in a more hands-on approach, we will provide appropriate orientation and training, leaving the data collection to individual lab personnel with minimal supervision. For those preferring a less-involved approach, studies may be arranged to be performed by RIVA personnel. We are a fee-for-service facility and will gladly provide a quote for any level of service. Sealy Center for Cancer Cell Biology Cores The Transgenic Mouse Core Facility (TMCF) was established as a university core in 1996. It is the sole core facility that specializes in the generation, maintenance and preservation of genetically engineered mice in UTMB. To date, the TMCF generated over 80 strains of genetically engineered mice. The TMCF is supported by user cost-sharing, grants funding individual investigators, and several departments including the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Neurology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, the Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s disease, and Research Services. The mission of the TMCF is to provide comprehensive and flexible support to investigators who engage in genetically engineered mouse model research, and to facilitate the growth of the mouse research and translational research in the UTMB. The TMCF is available for use by all UTMB scientists. We can provide guidance and technical support at all stages of the development of genetically engineered mouse models. We can serve as a mentor of your student, your collaborator, or your hand. Nude Mouse Laboratory was established in 1983 to serve UTMB investigators interested in establishing human cancer xenograft lines and studying the effects of various agents on tumor growth in an in vivo model. Because tumors generally maintain their histology and human karyotype and because human drug sensitivity or resistance are stable when tumors Last Modified: 1/23/2012 8 are transplanted to the nude mouse, the laboratory both enhances and promotes research related to human cancerous tissue. In addition, it enables investigators to apply for grants and contracts related to human cancer research, many of which specifically require experimentation on nude mice. The establishment of uncommon cancers can be facilitated by transplantation into the nude mouse. Finally, various agents and drug delivery systems may be tested using this in vivo model. Specific objectives are to: assess specific therapies and drug delivery systems on the growth of different human cancers in nude mice; provide source materials for human tumors; use the T-cell-deficient nude mouse for immunological studies; provide an immunocompromised in vivo model; assess developmental growth and gene expression of normal tissues from other species; and facilitate the establishment of uncommon tumors resected from patients Many colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancer xenograft lines have been established and are available for analysis and experimentation. In addition, novel human endocrine cancers have been established that represent, in some instances, one-of-a-kind tumor models. The majority of tumors are transplanted to the subcutaneous tissue of the back or flank. This allows for ease of analysis and measurement. Further, tumor models are available that involve implantation into the abdomen and mimic human metastatic cancers with metastasis to the liver or other organs. Injection of test agents can be achieved by the oral, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal or intravenous routes. Novel methods of drug delivery may be relatively easily assessed using nude mice. Real-Time PCR Core Facility offers a full complement of real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) services including primer and probe design and order, preparation of real-time PCR reactions, and data analyses for gene expression (DNA and RNA samples), as well as allelic discrimination. The PCR core facility has the following major equipment available: Applied Biosystems (ABI) PRISM 7000 sequence detector with a Dell Pentium III laptop computer; a Dell Pentium IV desktop computer installed with the ABI PRISM 7000 SDS (sequence detection system), PrimerExpress and file builder software. The UTMB Tumor Bank is housed in the Sealy Center for Cancer Cell Biology as part of our efforts to facilitate cancer research at UTMB. Collection of tumor tissues is a collaboration of the SCCB and the Division of Surgical Pathology. This bank contains >2,000 different specimens of various tumor-types, The Human Tumor Bank Core provides tissues for cancer-related research approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Biological Safety Committee for using biohazard materials. In addition, this service promotes material-sharing and provides assistance on cancer tissue-related research. The Biostatistics Shared Resource (BSR) Facility operates under the auspices of the UTMB Cancer Center. The BSR serves as a centralized resource for comprehensive and high-quality statistical support to all aspects of cancer research, including basic science, translational research and clinical studies. The Cancer Center’s BSR Facility provides the following services to cancer researchers: Study design and determination of sample size to optimize resource utilization Planning of in vitro, in vivo studies of animal cancer models and translational studies Design and oversight of clinical trials Monitoring of safety/toxicity and efficacy parameters in clinical trials Development of database and information management systems Generation of interim statistical reports Application of innovative statistical methodology in cancer research Analysis and interpretation of final statistical data Training and teaching through cancer specific programs at UTMB The Oncology Clinical Trials Office (OCTO) serves as a full service, multidisciplinary resource for University investigators and clinical study sponsors who are committed to performing the highest quality clinical studies. OCTO is a resource that provides the necessary tools and expertise for conducting innovative and safe clinical trial research in compliance with required federal guidelines. The OCTO mission is to: Last Modified: 1/23/2012 9 Facilitate patient access to oncology clinical trials by providing up to date information about ongoing clinical research at UTMB Support investigators in every aspect of oncology clinical trials research, including protocol development and review, contract execution, financial accounting, budget negotiations, compliance reporting and trial maintenance Serve as liaison between PI’s and clinical sponsors Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine Cores The Molecular Genomics (MG) Core Laboratory provides services, technical support and advice to UTMB investigators in the area of genomic analysis. The MG Core provides gene expression analysis through the use of Affymetrix gene chips and real time arrays, SNP analysis (both association-based studies and discrimination assays), real time quantitative RT-PCR, miRNA analysis, DNA sequence analysis and high resolution melt analysis. The Recombinant DNA Laboratory provides UTMB investigators with a variety of essential services and technical support in the area of recombinant DNA techniques. Services include the production of plasmid DNA, transformation and screening of recombinant plasmids, bacterial expression, site directed mutagenesis, construction of transgenic and null gene plasmids and various PCR based technologies. The Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics (SCSB) Research Laboratories The SCSB Research Laboratories aid scientists interested in elucidating the basic relationships between macromolecular sequence, structure and function, with a goal of leveraging this information into the understanding and treatment of disease. The basic research within SCSB combines thermodynamic, kinetic and structural data about biomolecules and their complexes to understand important biomedical processes. The structural and dynamical basis for molecular recognition, signal transduction, protein folding and allosteric regulation is studied by X-ray crystallographic <http://scsb.utmb.edu/facilities/xray.htm> , nuclear magnetic resonance, <http://scsb.utmb.edu/facilities/nmr.htm> and cryo-electron microscopic <http://scsb.utmb.edu/facilities/cryoem.htm> techniques, advanced computational tools, <http://scsb.utmb.edu/facilities/cb.htm> and solution thermodynamics <http://scsb.utmb.edu/facilities/thermo.htm> . The SCSB Research Laboratories are Research Cores requiring serious time investment by researchers. Accordingly, each Laboratory offers training in use of instrumentation, software and experimental design, along with workshops on specific topics. Graduate students and post docs may take the instruction provided by SCSB in conjunction with academic courses in NMR, X-ray Crystallography, CryoEM, or Molecular Biophysics offered by SCSB faculty through the GSBS. Unless researchers have the appropriate expertise in their own laboratories most projects will require the expertise provided by collaborating with the Center, either with a SCSB faculty member or one of the Laboratory managers. To initiate a research project in the Center please contact a SCSB faculty member, the specific Laboratory manager, or the Center Director, Wayne Bolen. The Computational Biology Research Laboratory in SCSB provides modern computational resources to researchers and to students who are in need of large-scale computing power. The power house of the Laboratory is a 30 processor Linux cluster, which provides parallel-processing capabilities with a total of 84 billions floating point operations per second, 42 GB of memory and 1.6 TB of storage space. The cluster also provides centralized file-server capabilities as well as a tape library with 400 GB of storage space to archive and secure data. Peripheral devices include a scanner, B&W and color printers, plus tape drives. All computing resources are connected to the UTMB network, and thus other workstations within the campus can easily access the resources of the Laboratory. An account request form is available online <mailto:tdpower@utmb.edu?subject=SCSB%20Cluster%20Account%20Request>. (Manager, David Power) The Cryo Electron Microscopy Research Laboratory, on the first floor of the Medical Research Building, has laboratory space featuring a BSL-3 room for viral and pathogen work. The Laboratory has three JEOL cryo-electron microscopes, used for imaging of macromolecular complexes, cell organelles and other biological systems. The high-resolution JEM2200FS is located in the BSL-3 facility and permits structural imaging of pathogens. Unique to the core is the W. M. Keck Center for virus imaging with BSL-3 containment, the only cryo-EM facility in the U.S. designed for high-resolution structural studies of wild type infectious agents. The JEM2100 is available for imaging of non-pathogenic targets. A lower Last Modified: 1/23/2012 10 resolution JEM1400 microscope is available for preliminary screening. Image data are stored in a local database that is archived remotely. Microscope scheduling, for qualified users, is available online. The NMR Spectroscopy Research Laboratory. Located in its own two-story building (Bldg. 73) at the University of Texas Medical Branch the SCSB NMR Research Laboratory includes a state-of-the-art high field Varian VNMR system 800MHz (with a HCN Cold Probe), a VNMR system 750MHz, and an Inova 600 MHz NMR spectrometer with 31P NMR capability. Both the 800 and 750 MHz instruments are capable of HCN triple-resonance experiments with 2H decoupling. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool in studies involving structural biology, proteomics, metabolomics, metabonomics, nutrition, toxicology, analysis of biological fluids, functional genomics, structure/activity relationship, drug discovery and development, macromolecule structure/function analysis and small molecule structural analysis. The NMR techniques used in such studies include: relaxation measurements, chemical shift mapping, hydrogen exchange, conformational exchange, transfer NOE, Saturation Transfer Difference(STD), dynamics and 3D solution structure determination. Spectrometer scheduling, for qualified users,is available online. The Solutions Biophysics Research Laboratory, located on the fifth floor of MRB, is equipped with a Beckman Analytical Ultracentrifuge XL-A to monitor the hydrodynamic properties of biomacromolecules and protein-protein interactions, a GE Health Sciences' Biacore T100 SPR high-throughput system for measuring the kinetics of proteinprotein and protein-ligand interactions, a Johnson and Johnson ThermoFluor, high-throughput ligand screening system for the discovery of protein-ligand interactions, a MALDI Mass Spectrometer for use in monitoring the quality of biomacromolecules samples, a MicroCal Isothermal Titration Microcalorimeter, and various spectroscopic instruments. High throughput analyses are facilitated by an epMotion 5075 Solution Robot for sample preparation. Solution biophysics and thermodynamics techniques are used both as primary research tools and to guide structural studies. X-ray Crystallography Laboratory in the SCSB provides complete facilities for crystallization studies of macromolecules. The Laboratory houses a Rigaku Crystalmation® robotics system, consisting of an Alchemist-II for preparation of crystal screens, a PHOENIX, for fast reliable and efficient screening of crystallization conditions, and a DT Minstrel/Gallery 160 for automated imaging of crystallization trays. Two x-ray area detector systems are available for the collection of X-ray diffraction data, each with an ultra-fine-focus high-brilliancy x-ray generator and focusing multilayer optics. These are suitable for protein crystals from 50 microns in size with cell dimensions up to 400 Å and are equipped cryogenic sample cooling systems. The Crystallographic Computation Lab provides high-performance Linux stereographics workstations for crystallographic structure solution, refinement, and analysis or CryoEM reconstructions. Diffractometer and robotics scheduling, for qualified users, is available online. Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine (SCEHM) The Synthetic Organic Chemistry Core provides an on-site, cost-efficient, full-service, chemical synthesis facility to synthesize defined DNA lesions, bioconjugates and small organic molecules that are unavailable or commercially expensive. The SOCC is part of the SCEHM and the NIEHS CET at UTMB and has been in operation since March 1998. Since then it has synthesized more than 800 different organic synthesis products for a number of researchers and research cores on and off campus. SOCC synthesis projects include modified nucleosides and oligonucleotides, metal chelators, steroid analogs, modified peptides, enzyme substrates and inhibitors, bioconjugates, as well as hard to find organic analytical standards and reagents. The lab is a shared chemical synthesis facility also open to researchers who need assistance with chemical syntheses, wish to use the lab’s resources, or need technical supervision and/or training of technicians on research synthesis projects. The 1200 sq ft lab, located in room 2.130 of Ewing Hall, houses equipment for multi-step organic chemical syntheses from mg to 100g scales, modified DNA syntheses, HPLC analyses and purification, photochemical reactions, flash chromatography, rotary evaporation, distillations, sublimations, titrations, temperature controlled and high pressure reactions. The Tissue Culture Core Facility is a division of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The core supports UTMB investigators in a time- and cost-efficient manner. The facility provides products for tissue culture, molecular biology, and immunology research from multiple vendors. Other services include heat in-activation of serum, mycoplasma detection and eradication, tissue culturing, and cryogenic preservation and repository of cells. RESTRICTED CORES The Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) Last Modified: 1/23/2012 11 The Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) is an academic research center at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Utilizing the unique resources of its BSL2, 3 and 4 laboratories, the GNL’s renowned scientists work collaboratively, both locally and internationally, tackling some of the world’s most pressing health concerns. With strengths in aerobiology, assay development, experimental pathology, imaging, immunology, insectary services and preclinical studies, the GNL advances local discoveries on the diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines for the infectious diseases impacting global health like tuberculosis, SARS virus, West Nile virus, Ebola, Marburg, Plague, encephalitis, influenza and a host of others. The GNL was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and serves as a national resource in support of NIAID’s biodefense and emerging infectious diseases research agenda standing ready to assist local, state and national public health efforts in the event of a public health emergency. The GNL and adjacent facilities offer more than 14,000 square feet of BSL4 space, over 29,000 square feet of BSL3 facilities and nearly 52,000 square feet of BSL2 facilities. These facilities include typical lab spaces as well as animal biosafety lab space (ABSL), insectaries and aerobiology facilities. UTMB is a registered select agent facility for CDC, USDA and overlap agents. The GNL’s mission is fulfilled through a system of specialized services available to researchers in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases via the following Service Divisions: Aerobiology: The Aerobiology Services Division offers aerosolization capabilities to researchers examining BSL3 and BSL4 level bacteria and viruses via inhalational exposure. This division uses specialized equipment to expose models to various pathogens including select agents such as anthrax, plague and Venezuelan equine encephalitis, to allow examination of disease mechanisms and to evaluate the efficacy of potential countermeasures. Assay Development: The Assay Development Services Division provides assay development and drug screening for identification of new therapeutics for researchers who study select or emerging disease agents. Division personnel generate assays that are standardized, reproducible and useful in medium- to high- throughput screening. While the emphasis is on developing low-containment BSL2 assays, the division also designs and tests assays suitable for BSL3 and BSL4 containment. Experimental Pathology: The Experimental Pathology (EP) Services Division features support for tissue-based studies and tissue culture needs of researchers. EP offers routine histopathological services (tissue processing, microtomy, cryotomy, cytospin and smear preparation, routine and special histochemical staining), immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and in situ hybridization analyses. EP Division staff provide expert assistance in staining and tissue preparation for advanced microscopy studies (confocal or two photon microscopy) in conjunction with the Imaging Services Division. Facilities for light microscopy, digital photomicrography, image analysis, fluorescence microscopy, and laser capture microdissection are available. The unit’s Tissue Culture Core facility also exists as a source of scientific supplies, such as media, sera and enzymes, and serves as a safety-compliant shipping and receiving unit. In addition, tissue-based diagnostic and etiological assessments from EP experts are available to public health entities in the event of disease outbreaks. Imaging: The state-of-the-art Imaging Services Division provides advanced optical analysis for in vivo wholeanimal studies and tissue specimens at BSL2, -3 and -4 biocontainment levels. The unit offers combined confocal and multiphoton microscopy imaging systems at the BSL2 and BSL3 levels for molecular imaging and microscopy, an IVIS 200 system for in vivo small animal molecular optical imaging, a micro PET/CT whole-animal imaging system, digital X-ray, and ultrasound equipment. Also available are a full complement of gel-imaging capabilities, as well as traditional X-ray services. Immunology: Immunology Support Services Division capabilities include the generation and maintenance of knockout and transgenic mouse models for immunological examinations of select and emerging disease agents. In addition, the Division develops, from these models, primary cell lines for use in in vitro experiments and provides experimental surgery services and production of human monoclonal antibodies. Insectaries Services: The Insectaries Services Division (IS) provides expert consultation and state-of-the-art equipment for research into arthropod-borne biothreat agents and emerging infectious diseases. IS facilitates research by biodefense investigators who require high and maximum containment for studies with arthropod vectors by either providing expertise and/or training for the researchers’ personnel. In addition to mosquito and tick rearing in Arthropod Containment Level two (ACL2) facilities, specialized resources and equipment located within ACL3 facilities include, membrane feeding systems, intrathoracic inoculation apparatus, chill tables, environmental chambers, trituration apparatus, containment glove-boxes, microscopy and imaging capabilities. Preclinical Studies: The Preclinical Studies Services Division supports testing of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics against challenges from biodefense and/or emerging disease agents. Division expertise includes surgical implantation of telemetric devices, as well as conducting laparoscopic, endoscopic and ultrasound-guided tissue biopsies. The division’s aim is to provide real-time data with minimally invasive techniques. The division Last Modified: 1/23/2012 12 accesses, as appropriate, the GNL’s other services, such as the animal support unit, which has facilities for both small animals and non-human primates, and the services of the Aerobiology Services Division. The services and specialized equipment these Divisions provide, among others, include: aerosolization studies of BSL-3 and -4 level pathogens in small animals and non-human primates; animal model development; host-pathogen studies; vaccine, diagnostics and therapeutics testing; screening methodology development through in vitro studies; technical assistance in histological and tissue processing methods; diagnostic expertise in the event of disease outbreaks or bioterrorism, protocol development against arthropod vectors; imaging expertise in the analysis of human and animal tissues and in vivo whole-animal imaging specialized imaging equipment, including combined confocal and multiphoton microscopy imaging systems at the BSL-2 and BSL-3 levels; IVIS 200 system for in vivo small animal molecular optical imaging; microPET/CT whole animal imaging system; digital X-ray and ultrasound equipment; a full complement of gel imaging capabilities as well as a traditional X-ray film processing a full-service immunology core capable of developing knockout and transgenic mouse models for immunological studies. GLP study oversight full-service animal care procedural and maintenance facilities a Tecan robotic liquid handling system and other robotics instruments for assay development a full complement of thermal cyclers, including RT-PCR machines, a BSL4 level flow cytometer and a BSL3 level fluorescence activated cell sorter. There is also a fully equipped histopathology suite, ultra-, super-, and lowspeed centrifuges; and glassware washing and sterilization equipment and aerosol challenge facilities allowing the safe study of inhaled viral and bacterial pathogens via Madison chamber units and equipment capable of facilitating nose-only exposure. The University has an existing safety program that is in accordance with appropriate federal, state, and local regulations for research performed safely under BSL2, BSL3 and BSL4 laboratory conditions. UTMB is also home to the The National Biocontainment Training Center which prepares infectious disease scientists to work safely in high and maximum-containment environments. Through extensive one-on-one, customized didactic training, practical demonstration and mentored experience in the lab environment, the NBTC’s Laboratory Biosafety Training Program provides laboratory and support staff training in BSL2 to 4 laboratory biosafety. The NBTC also offers parallel fellowship tracks for scientists and biocontainment engineers, affording individuals the unique opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience working in BSL3 and BSL4 laboratory environments. The NIEHS Center Cell Biology Core (CBC), an established National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Center Service Core at UTMB, developed an infrastructure of core services for members of the NIEHS Center Research Cores. This core is dedicated to the development and delivery of state-of-the-art methods and technologies in cell biology to assist Center investigators in their mission. The wide range of diseases studied includes cancer, drug abuse, behavioral disorders, chronic inflammatory lung diseases, aging and age-associated diseases. Related research ranges from studies of molecules (damaged DNA, DNA repair proteins, transcription factors, drug metabolizing enzymes) and cells to those of whole animals and human populations. The core supports investigators from the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Microbiology and Immunology, and the Sealy Center for Molecular Sciences. In addition to state-of-the-art equipment and methods, the key personnel of this core provide scientific and technical expertise that greatly benefits investigators in terms of experimental design, execution and interpretation. A particular strength of this core is to serve as an integrating umbrella to foster collaborative arrangements that cross departmental boundaries, and to facilitate productive interactions between basic and applied environmental sciences. Pepper Center Cores Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Last Modified: 1/23/2012 13 Overview: The focus of the UTMB Pepper OAIC through its first two funding cycles (2000-10) has been on age-related sarcopenia and its contribution to loss of independence in older persons. The theme for the current cycle (2010-15) is ‘Translating Biological Mechanisms of Muscle Growth and Loss to Improve Function and Recovery in Older Adults.’ The aims of the Pepper OAIC are to: 1) Provide core support to funded translational research by UTMB investigators on muscle function and functional recovery from illness in older adults 2) Stimulate the growth of additional interdisciplinary translational research projects to improve muscle function and functional recovery from illness in older adults by funding pilot project research to generate preliminary data in promising new areas of investigation and funding developmental projects to develop innovative technologies; 3) Train future leaders in research in the mechanisms, prevention and treatment of muscle dysfunction and disability in older adults; 4) 4) Recruit established investigators with expertise relevant to muscle function and functional recovery in older adults into interdisciplinary translational research related to the OAIC focus. 5) 5) Foster collaborations between UTMB investigators and investigators at other OAICs and other institutions on studies of muscle function and functional recovery in older adults. The Center focuses on translating basic discoveries on the mechanisms of muscle loss and re-growth with aging to clinical practice to promote functional recovery and prevent disability in older adults. Observational studies will provide crucial information for selection of appropriate in-hospital, post-discharge, and long-term outcomes for inclusion in clinical trials of geriatric patient populations. The UTMB OAIC goal is to identify predictors of physical function and recovery from illness in hospitalized geriatric patients, identify potential treatments to improve function and accelerate recovery, determine the efficacy of the identified treatments in clinical trials in geriatric patients, and Increase the number of junior and senior investigators involved in geriatric research. UTMB’s OAIC, is directed by Elena Volpi, MD, PhD. Dr. James Goodwin is the co-director. For more information on the current UTMB OAIC, please visit the Pepper website at: http://www.utmb.edu/scoa/pepper/index.asp. Pepper Center Cores Research Career and Development Core (RCDC) The RCDC promotes the development of the next generation of geriatric/gerontologic research leaders through direct financial support for salary and travel, structured mentoring, participation in interdisciplinary conferences, other didactic training, networking activities, and access to infrastructure support from the UTMB OAIC, and other OAICs as appropriate. The RCDC also provides career development training, supports pilot research projects, and coordinates use of the research cores by other investigators who are not receiving direct support from the Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC). The Core has two potential targets: Junior faculty and trainees in clinical and basic science disciplines relevant to aging Established investigators with expertise highly relevant to aging research but not currently studying aging. The RCDC takes different approaches to these two groups. For junior faculty, the RDC coordinates structured didactic training with the provision of appropriate mentoring. Junior faculty are assigned both research mentors and career mentors, the one to focus on the specific goals of the research project and the other to assist with defining overall career goals. Mentors are selected from among senior faculty in aging research. A major theme of the training program is linked to mechanistically driven research to evaluation of clinical outcomes. RCDC activities involving more established faculty concentrate on providing opportunities and support for interdisciplinary collaboration, drawing investigators from other disciplines into ongoing studies of the OAIC. The RCDC supports investigators interested in developing a research portfolio in aging from in a wide spectrum of clinical and basic science disciplines Last Modified: 1/23/2012 14 Clinical Research Resource Core (CR-RC1) The Clinical Research Core (CR–RC1) is the primary OAIC resource for research subject recruitment, tracking and retention activities. It supports studies related to 1) biological mechanisms underlying muscle loss and re-growth; and 2) physical function and disability in both healthy community-dwelling older adults and those admitted to our Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit. The Specific Aims and functions of the CR–RC1 are to: 1. Recruit, track and retain older adults for external projects, developmental studies and pilot studies. Older adults included in Core activities range from healthy older adults living in the community to those hospitalized with an acute illness. 2. Provide uniform and standardized health screenings, physical exams and functional status and disability assessments for investigators of external projects, developmental studies and pilot studies. As examples, trained staff from our Core will perform phlebotomies, DEXA scans, muscle biopsies, and subjective and objective assessments of physical function and disability status. 3. Maintain a health outcomes database on older patients admitted to our ACE unit. Recruitment coordinators from our Core will maintain a password protected web-based database on older patients admitted to our ACE unit, and made available to OAIC investigators. 4. Coordinate training in recruitment and retention, and functional assessments, and ensure compliance regarding the regulations governing clinical investigations involving human subjects. Muscle Biology Resource Core (MB-RC2) The Muscle Biology Resource Core (MB-RC2)supports and promotes integrative and translational research on the biological mechanisms underlying muscle loss and functional recovery in older adults. The specific aims are: 1. Provide analytical support for funded translational research in muscle aging requiring a. Genomics b. Proteomics c. Molecular biology d. Muscle morphology e. Tracer methodologies to measure metabolic processes in vivo 2. Develop new translational methods to study the mechanisms of sarcopenia and muscle functional recovery in older adults 3. Simplify access of OAIC investigators to other institutional analytical core resources 4. Train young investigators on the analytical and methodological aspects of translational muscle research in older adults Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) The goal of the Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) is to foster the development of innovative research designed to foster translation of basic discoveries on the mechanisms of muscle loss and re-growth with aging to clinical practice for the promotion of functional recovery in older adults. Specific aims are: 1. Solicit and select the most meritorious research proposals for PESC funding 2. Provide PESC investigators with access to resources from other OAIC cores and institutional research facilities/centers 3. Identify potential opportunities for co-sponsorship of PESC studies 4. Monitor the progress of PESC studies 5. Ensure regulatory compliance, safety and protection of human subjects enrolled in PESC studies 6. Provide assistance and mentorship to develop PESC studies into independently funded grant applications Last Modified: 1/23/2012 15
