CLINICAL TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE AWARD
THE CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER (CTRC)
TRANSLATIONAL CORE LABORATORY (TCL)
The Translational Core Laboratory (TCL) of the Clinical and Translational Research Center
(CTRC) provides a wide range of technical procedures, analyses and consultations to support
CTRC-approved patient-oriented research protocols at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
(CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania. The functions of the CHOP TCL are grouped into
four sub-cores: (1) Specimen Collection, Processing and Shipping Core, (2) Biochemistry Core,
(3) DNA Isolation-Cell Culture Core, and (4) Molecular Biology-Genetics Core.
The Specimen Collection and Processing Core is staffed by two trained Medical Technologists
and the research lab is staffed by 4 highly skilled Laboratory Technicians (3 at the Master’s
level). The Medical Director of the CHOP TCL is Ronald Rubenstein, MD, PhD, and the CTRC
Core Lab Technical Director is Xiangdong (Sean) Ren, MD, PhD.
The Specimen Collection and Processing Core performs collecting, aliquoting, storing, and
shipping of specimens at two fully equipped outpatient processing laboratories and an equally
equipped inpatient processing lab. The Specimen Collection and Processing Core has ample 20ºC and -80ºC storage capacities together with an electronic freezer monitoring system for added
sample protection.
The Biochemistry sub-core provides CTRC investigators with access to a wide range of (kitbased and custom) immunological and biochemical assays. The Biochemistry Core is capable of
running single or multiplex immunoassays on Molecular Device Plate Readers, ImmuLite and
MSD for a variety of analytes in serum, plasma, and urine. Basic and comprehensive metabolic
panels are now available using an automated Chemistry Analyzer (VITROS 350) recently
purchased from Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. The core has also purchased a Sysmex XT-V
Hematology Analyzer with multi-species capability to provide standard hematology testing
service to the CTRC investigators.
The services provided by the DNA Isolation-Cell Culture Core to CTRC Investigators include
isolation of DNA from blood, saliva, buccal swabs, frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue,
isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and establishment of immortalized cell
lines(primarily EBV transformed lymphoblasts). Cells are preserved in liquid N2 tanks equipped
with an electronic monitoring system. The DNA Isolation-Cell Culture Core has achieved a
success rate of approximately 80-90% for the establishment of EBV-transformed lymphoblast
cell lines from frozen PBMCs and >90% for establishing lymphoblast cell lines from freshly
isolated PBMCs.
The Molecular Biology-Genetics Core provides a variety of services to assist investigators in
genetic studies. These include primer design, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction
enzyme mapping and agarose gel QC, DNA sequencing, real-time PCR, gene expression analysis,
SNP genotyping, LOH analysis, haplotyping, RNA isolation, and mutation analyses. The
Molecular Biology-Genetics Core is evaluating the feasibility of providing preparative services
for next-generation DNA sequencing in collaboration with the CHOP Nucleic Acid/Protein
Research Core Facility.
In addition to running standard assays, CHOP TCL works closely with the investigators to
provide technical consultations as well as assay development services.
Updated June 2013
To improve sample tracking and data management, CHOP TCL has implemented the Nautilus
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) from Thermo Scientific for tracking and
storage of specimens, specimen data, tracking of work flow, and entry and storage of assay data.
The Nautilus LIMS has been tailored for the specific requirements of the CHOP TCL in
collaboration with the CHOP Center for Biomedical Informatics and Thermo Scientific. The
Nautilus LIMS system is built on the powerful Oracle relational database and provides the TCL
and CTRC with an integrated system for tracking of investigator’s specimens, specimen data, and
results.
The CHOP Translational Core Laboratory performs clinical research-quality assays in a highly
cost effective manner. All assays and their associated workflows have been thoroughly examined
to achieve highest possible technical quality at minimal cost to the investigators. The labor
involved in performing these services and assays has been carefully calculated based on
refinement of technique and minimization of down-time. Costs are also minimized by
performing analyses in batch whenever possible. New assays and services are constantly
monitored, examined, and refined so that they can be made available to the investigators in a cost
effective manner. All efforts are made to procure quality reagents and consumables at the lowest
cost along with minimizing the operating costs associated with providing the requested assays
and services. The high quality and cost-effective services in sample testing and management
provided by the CHOP TCL would otherwise be very difficult to achieve by investigators
performing the work in their own labs. The TCL services are also a vital support to those
investigators who do not have their own laboratories.
Updated June 2013