Core B - Instrumentation

CORE B – PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Core B. Instrumentation Core Nathan Sherer, Core Leader The Instrumentation and Imaging Core (Core B) provides support for equipment and facilities used communally by members of the PPG. Aim 1 is to provide priority access to and training in the use of critical instrumentation used by all Projects including 1) high-speed ultracentrifuges for virus preparation and biochemical studies; 2) an Azure 600 Imager for nucleic acid and protein detection / quantification; 3) an ABI Prism 7900HT real-time PCR machine for measuring gene expression; and 4) a Beckman Spectrophotometer DU7400 used for quantitative assays important to the PPG. Aim 2 is to provide priority access to and instruction in the use of advanced light microscopy resources including a Zeiss Axioimager suite, a Zeiss Axiovert 200M 3-D deconvolution live cell imaging microscope, two Nikon Ti-Eclipse live cell imaging deconvolution microscopes, and a fully automated Nikon A1R confocal microscope; and to facilitate technology development. Aim 3 is to provide PPG members with crucial shared histopathology services for generating, processing, and visualizing formalin-fixed, paraffin- embedded and frozen tissue samples for tumor virus-associated cancer studies. Combined, this core has been extensively used over the current funding period and is now expanded in its capacity to include additional innovative microscopy and histopathology capabilities, including DNA/RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) services for multiplex tracking of viral and host cancer-relevant gene products in single cells and tissues and high-resolution 12x expansion microscopy.