INFRASTRUCTURE 1: CORE RESEARCH LABORATORIES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The CBR/RCMI Core Facility enhances multidisciplinary research of Tuskegee University investigators in Microscopy/Imaging, Flow Cytometry, Cell Culture and Molecular Biology, and Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. This year, the Core Facility has provided service and assistance to 16 users representing 3 academic colleges and 9 scientific disciplines. These investigators published or submitted 5 peer reviewed papers and presented 9 papers or posters. The Imaging Facility continues to offer service to the largest number of investigators while the Cell Culture and Molecular Biology facilities accumulated the most "man hours" of use. . A Q Imaging CE digital camera operating through C Imaging Systems Simple PCI software was recently added to the light imaging facility. This camera greatly enhances the fluorescent microscopy capabilities of the facility and should allow the recording of chemoluminescent gels without the use of radiographic film. The Philips 400 TEM was equipped with a Scientific Instruments & Applications (SIA) Pelter Cooled CCD Camera (3.2 megapixels); images captured using the SIA software package (TIFF files) are processed and analyzed. Molecular biology capabilities have been significantly enhanced through the purchase of several state of the art instruments. These include a BIO-TEK SYNERGY HT microplate reader, which reads 6-to-384 well plates and performs fluorescence, absorbance and luminescence measurements. An Eppendorf Mastercycler has been added updating conventional PCR. A Cepheid Smartcycler 2 has been purchased and provides outstanding Real-time PCR capabilities. The instrument employs 4 optical channels; emissions range from 510 nm to 750 nm. These channels permit simultaneous detection of four "probes". The instrument provides real-time display of growth curves, temperature profiles, and melting curves with qualitative, quantitative, and growth curve analysis. The goal of the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Facility is to increase participation of faculty in bioinformatics and computational biology research through the use of web based infrastructure, especially in genomics and proteomics. We have added updated software from Accelrys and are continuing our association with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Genomics Core Facility.