Histology processing equipment

组织处理器是支持Kerr博士研究的重要设备，该研究目前由NSERC发现基金资助，研究新生儿护理环境对正常和恶性乳腺发育背景下基因和蛋白质表达的影响。此外，除了Kerr博士之外，特伦特大学的其他几位教职员工（NSERC持有人或NSERC申请人）也依赖于组织处理器的可靠使用。例如，Craig Brunetti博士（RTI-1的共同申请人）的研究重点涉及与病毒发病机制有关的基因的表征，而C. Kapron博士的研究考察了由于环境毒素暴露导致的哺乳动物胚胎发育过程中细胞应激信号通路中蛋白质和基因表达的变化。对器官或整个生物体进行免疫组织化学检查，是分离可能参与基因表达并代表动物与其环境之间复杂相互作用的因素的一个重要部分。准确识别器官或动物蛋白质表达因社会、病毒或毒理学环境暴露而改变的位置的能力，将有助于结合其他形式的评估，解释特定环境因素对动物健康、病理和基本生理功能的影响。免疫组织化学仍然是一项基础技术，为当前的尖端技术（包括组织微阵列和功能基因组学）提供了重要的生物学补充。没有这种基础设施（目前特伦特大学还没有），克尔博士和布鲁内蒂博士的研究项目在可以解决的发育和体内问题的类型上受到严重限制。

A tissue processor is an essential piece of equipment to support Dr. Kerr's research, currently funded by an NSERC Discovery grant, which examines the effects of neonatal care-giving environment on gene and protein expression within the context of normal and malignant mammary gland development.  In addition, to Dr. Kerr, several other Trent University faculty members (NSERC holders or NSERC applicants) rely on the reliable use of a tissue processor.  For example, Dr. Craig Brunetti's (co-applicant on this RTI-1) research focus involves the characterization of genes involved in viral pathogenesis, whereas Dr. C. Kapron's research examines protein and gene expression changes in cellular stress signalling pathways in developing mammalian embryos due to environmental toxin exposure.  An essential part of isolating possible factors that are involved in gene expression and which represent the complex interplay between the animal and its environment is immunohistochemical examination of organs or whole organisms. The ability to identify exactly where in an organ or animal protein expression is altered due to social, viral, or toxicological environmental exposures will help to explain, in combination with other forms of assessment, the effects of that particular environmental factor on animal health, pathology, as well as basic physiological functions.  Immunohistochemistry remains a fundamental technique that provides an important biological complement to current cutting-edge techniques including tissue micorarrays and functional genomics.  Without this infrastructure, which is currently not available at Trent University, Dr.s Kerr's and Brunetti's research programs are severely restricted in the types of developmental and in vivo questions that can be addressed.