CORE--CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MORPHOLOGY

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The Cellular and Molecular Morphology Core (CMMC) has existed since the beginning of the SDRC at our institutions. It has been consistently a heavily utilized Core providing a diverse array of services to a large number of SDRC faculty and their associates. In the current proposal, the principal aim of the CMMC is to continue to provide state-of-the-art services and expertise to SDRC investigators using molecular probes for a wide variety of morphological and molecular biological studies in which microscopic analysis plays a central role. These services include providing (i) immunolocalization and in situ hybridization methods for morphological studies, (ii) embedding, sectioning, and staining facilities and services, (iii) a centralized resource center that is designed to foster interaction and collaboration, (iv) scanning and transmission electron microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy services, (v) confocal laser microscopy, (vi) laser capture microscopy, (vii) expert-guided hands-on training in a range of microscopic technologies, (viii) a facility to house and catalog our 1,000 specimen human tissue sample library; and (ix) extraction of nucleic acids from those banked tissue specimens to maximize SDRC faculty access to DNA and RNA from specific skin diseases. The goals of the core including providing instrumentation, technical expertise and hands-on training in using molecular probes in morphological studies. An additional goal is to foster exchange of technical information among SDRC members and to encourage the sharing of resources. Key features of this core facility are its flexibility in adapting to the evolving needs of SDRC faculty, and its comprehensive range of services designed to support the needs of both proposed and future SDRC-related morphological studies involving cellular and extracellular molecules. The SDRC faculty responsible for CMMC operations function as a well-integrated team that collectively offers state-of-the-art expertise in all aspects of core function, and provides access to highly trained personnel in very well equipped research laboratories.