Specimen Resource Core

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The Specimen Resource Core is the cornerstone of all Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer (YSPORE) activities. It addresses the broad melanoma patient specimen needs of all the projects that are not met by current shared facilities at Yale. The core goes beyond fulfilling the required duties of a Specimen Resource Core delineated by the SPORE guidelines. In addition to collecting, storing and distributing a wide range of specimens and reagents, the core performs quality assurance testing and a wide range of molecular analyses of specimens. More specifically, the core: a) collects a large repertoire of specimens for translational and preclinical studies in melanoma, including melanocytic lesions, melanoma tumors and cells, normal skin, serum, and circulating lymphocytes; b) ensures high quality control and proper long-term storage, annotation, and timely distribution of specimens to YSPORE investigators; c) establishes and maintains a central database of essential pathological, clinical, epidemiological, follow-up information and basic research data generated by the YSPORE projects that is integrated with the Bioinformatics/Biostatistics Core; d) provides special, services such as the analysis of specimens from clinical trials, mutations, chromatin modification, and collection of TlLs (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes; e) maintains and distributes validated reagents (antibodies, oligonucleotides for PCR, DNA, RNA, plasmids, cell extracts) needed for molecular analyses of tumors by different YSPORE investigators; f) establishes links with shared facilities at Yale and similar resources in other institutions, including other SPOREs and sends out samples to collaborating investigators outside of Yale; and g) provides specimens for larger NCI objectives, including melanoma specimens, peripheral blood lymphocytes, and annotated clinical data for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The core Interacts extensively with investigators in each project, the Bioinformatics, Clinical Trial Office, Immunology, Critical Technologies for Tissue Services, and Genetics shared facilities of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center. The services of the Specimen Resource Core enhance the efficient operation of the translational studies by YSPORE investigators in a cost-effective manner, and expedite the application of discoveries at the bench to clinical practice, and clinical results to basic research.