Host-Microbial Analytic and Repository Core (H-MARC)

PROJECT SUMMARY (H-MARC) There is growing evidence for the importance of environmental factors, such as the microbiome, playing a critical role in the pathogenesis of digestive, liver and pancreatic diseases. A detailed characterization of the microbiome is critical to identify novel biomarkers relevant for precision medicine and to monitor the modification of the human microbiome as a modality to prevent and/or treat diseases. To facilitate research focused on host- microbial interactions and their relevance to digestive, liver and pancreatic diseases, the Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases (CMSDLD) has developed a Host-Microbial Analytic and Repository Core (H-MARC) with the following two Specific Aims: (1) To provide critical analytic services to characterize analytes (i.e. genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics) in both microbes and their mammalian hosts, and (2) to provide expertise that will allow CMSDLD members to extend pre-clinical in vitro and animal model research into the human clinical domain. In Specific Aim 1, to support the analysis of the mammalian host, H-MARC will provide access to high-end instruments designed to quantify gene expression at the mRNA and protein levels as well as access to FACS for the characterization of mammalian cell populations. Genomic analysis will be provided via Penn’s Next Gen Sequencing Core. To support the analysis of microbiota, H-MARC supports experiments involving microbial cultures as well as the analysis of metabolites via metabolomics. To meet the growing needs of the Center membership, the culture facilities have been expanded and a new partnership has been established with the Penn Metabolomics core to expand the range of analytic technologies to include additional metabolites for quantification. In Specific Aim 2, H-MARC supports human subject research through a robust Human Biospecimen Repository via a university sponsored LabVantage-based LIMS system. Annotated clinical data for IBD phenotyping is recorded in a RedCap electronic database that can be mined through services provided by the Human Subject Research Support services in the new Biomedical Data Sciences Core (BDSC). In sum, H-MARC services are designed to facilitate integrated analyses of host-microbial interactions at the preclinical and clinical interface.