Facility Core D: Biomarkers

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Toxicogenomic and proteomic tools allow investigators to rapidly screen for expression changes in large numbers of genes and proteins in response to toxicant exposures that enable efficient identification of potential molecular biomarkers of exposure, biological effect, and/or susceptibility. However, investigators have traditionally focused their research on pre-existing hypotheses within a specific molecular pathway. Many researchers lack the reagents, time, bioinformatics tools, and technical expertise to store, manage, analyze, confirm and follow-up on exciting changes observed through toxicogenomic and proteomic assays in biological pathways that are outside of their a priori hypotheses or specialty areas. The principal role of the new Biomarkers Core (Core D) of the Dartmouth Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) will be to assist SBRP researchers in using these toxicogenomic and proteomic tools to identify potential molecular biomarkers of exposure, biological effect, and/or susceptibility. We will assist the program's researchers in utilizing Core A (Molecular Biology & Proteomics Core) as well as the Dartmouth Microarray and Bioinformatics Shared Resources for their individual projects. The goal will be to assist the investigators of this SBRP program in accomplishing the specific aims of their scientific projects in the most efficient and productive manner in the area of toxicogenomics, toxicoproteomics and biomarkers development and application. The Core will also assist in the development, validation and application of new methodologies that can be used to assess the functional effects of exposures. These biomarkers can then be applied in basic mechanistic studies or in molecular epidemiology and ecotoxicology field studies examining the adverse effects associated with exposure to arsenic and other toxic metals.