The Biostatistics facility offers Ph.D.-level consultation for grant proposals, manuscripts and other research activities requiring biostatistical input. The available services include sample size and power calculations, the development of study designs and analysis plans, interpretation of analysis results and advice

Rich Holubkov, Ph.D., Director
School of Medicine, 5C124
(801) 585-7857
rholubkov@hrc.utah.edu

The Cell Imaging/ Fluorescence Microscopy facility provides training and consultation on the use of confocal microscopy, widefield automated microscopy, and software analysis tools for the deconvolution and quantitative analysis of image data. Three Olympus confocal microscopes (one FV1000 and two FV300s) can be used with live or fixed samples. Sophisticated image acquisition and analysis regimes are possible, including time-lapse, z-series, ratiometric analysis, and deconvolution.

Chris Rodesch, Ph.D., Director Radiobiology Bldg, Room 55
801-587-7964
crodesch@cores.utah.edu

The DNA Sequencing Core lab is equipped with state-of-the-art high throughput capillary sequencers and robotics. It offers 24-hr turnaround time sequencing services at very competitive prices. It also provides individualized troubleshooting help with sequencing data.

Other custom services include primer walking, PCR services for sequencing based mutation detection, genotyping and SNP discovery, as well as custom sequence data analysis and assembly. Robotics services are also available for those wishing to automate a variety of lab tasks, from 384-well plate pipetting to DNA and plasmid preps using the Biomek FX and Velocity 11 Vprep robotic stations.

Helaman Escobar, Director
School of Medicine, 4A432
801-581-4736
DNA@cores.utah.edu

The Oligonucleotide/Peptide Synthesis facility provides synthetic peptides and oligonucleotides, with specific modifications as needed. Additionally, the facility performs Edman sequencing of proteins/peptides, including the identification of phosphorylation sites using this methodology.

Robert Schackmann, Ph.D., Director
Radiobiology Bldg, Room 12
801-581-4051
bschackmann@cores.utah.edu

The Electron Microscopy core provides investigators with a variety of electron microscopy capabilities and image analysis (quantitative morphology). Technical services offered by the core include transmission and scanning electron microscopy, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry.

Nancy Chandler, Sr. Lab Specialist
801-581-4571
nancy.chandler@hsc.utah.edu

Kurt Albertine, Ph.D., Director
Radiobiology Bldg, Room 71
801-581-4178
kurt.albertine@hsc.utah.edu

The Flow Cytometry facility offers cell sorting and quantitative fluorescent measurements. The facility has a Becton-Dickinson Vantage cell sorter, a Union Biometrica “worm sorter” to fractionate C. elegans based on developmental stage, viability and expression of fluorescent proteins, and two FACscans.

Wayne Green, Ph.D., Director
Wintrobe Bldg, Room 656
801-581-8641
wayne.green@cores.utah.edu

The Genomics Core facility provides full-service genotyping, from PCR set-up through data analysis, for genome-wide scans, fine mapping, allelic imbalance (LOH), microsatellite instability, and SNP detection using capillary electrophoresis and/or TaqMan Assays. The facility also offers researchers access to real-time quantitative PCR instruments (ABI 7900HT) for gene expression and SNP genotyping experiments. Training, consulting and software are made available free of charge to those users. There is also availability to accommodate large SNP genotyping projects using the ABI SNPlex detection system. Please contact the Core for more details.

Helaman Escobar, Director
School of Medicine, 4A432
801-581-4736
DNA@cores.utah.edu

The Microarray Core Facility provides University of Utah researchers with access to microarray technology through support of the Affymetrix and the Agilent Technologies microarray platforms. The combination of these two platforms enables the facility to offer a diverse set of microarray tools for applications including measurements of gene expression, exon expression, SNP identification, DNA copy number (cgh), location analysis of DNA binding proteins (ChIP-on-chip), and DNA methylation status. Both platforms offer product lines with catalog arrays representing a wide variety of organisms (human, mouse, rat, yeast, zebrafish, C. elegans, Drosophila, chicken, Xenopus, canine, monkey, rice, Arabidopsis, and others). In addition to catalog microarrays, there are also options for the design and printing of custom microarrays. In particular, the flexibility of the inkjet printing process used by Agilent allows for a cost effective mechanism for the design and manufacture of custom microarrays.

Brian Dalley, Ph.D., Director
Office: Huntsman Cancer Institute, Room 3363
801-585-7192
Lab: Huntsman Cancer Institute, Room 3350
801-581-6346
brian.dalley@hci.utah.edu

The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility helps researchers determine the structure of proteins, nucleic acids and natural products. The instruments available in the facility include a Varian Unity 500 MHz NMR, a Varian Inova 600 MHz NMR and a Varian Mercury 400. The facility also has several Sun and SGI workstations for offline data processing and biomolecular structure determination.

Jack Skalicky, Ph.D., Director
Skaggs Hall, Room 295E
801-585-7363
skalicky@biochem.utah.edu

The Protein Interaction (Biacore) facility provides characterization of the assembly state, affinity, and kinetics of macromolecular binding interactions. Currently, the facility has 8 SPR-based biosensors including the BIACORE 3000, 2000 and S51 optical biosensors. These instruments can be used to study interactions between proteins, oligonucleotides, oligosaccharides

David Myszka, Ph.D., Director
School of Medicine, Room 4A417
801-585-5358
dmyszka@cores.utah.edu

The Small Animal Imaging facility has a small animal computed tomography (CT) scanner for use with sacrificed or live animals. Uses include embryonic and adult specimen anatomy, bone mineral density, bone mineral content, bodyfat content, and

Osama Abdullah
A300 (basement level)
E.E. Jones Medical Science Building (EEJMRB)
oabdullah@cores.utah.edu

If there are any difficulties contacting Osama Abdullah please contact:

Edward W. Hsu, PH.D.
Assistant Professor
Bioengineering department
Warnock Engineering Building room 2857
Salt Lake City, UT. 84112-5331
(801) 585-7550

Transgenic and Gene-targeting Mouse Facility

The Core is available to make transgenic mice using both pronuclear injection of embryos and gene-targeting of ES cells and blastocyst injection.  The Transgenic and Gene-targeting Core offers related procedures including sperm freezing, embryo freezing, rederivation of mouse lines, IVF, karyotyping, and has added new services such as ICSI and development of primary ES cell lines. The Core is available for technical advice regarding injection procedures, cell culture techniques, vector design and construction; and we are open to new ideas and available to try new methods that you are interested in. The Core maintains the necessary mouse colonies for basic procedures, now including a colony of flp mice.

Susan Tamowski, Director
801-581-3437
tamowski@genetics.utah.edu

Mario Capecchi, Ph.D., Co-Director
801-581-7096
capecchi@genetics.utah.edu

Phillip Clair, M.S.
801-585-7414
pclair@cores.utah.edu

Leslie Jerominski, M.S.
801-581-3437
leslie.jerominski@genetics.utah.edu

Richard Focht
801-585-7414
rfocht@genetics.utah.edu

The CZAR Facility provides state-of-the-art systems for housing, breeding, and doing experiments with zebrafish, an emerging vertebrate model system. It comprises 6000 fish tanks and redundant circulating water systems, and houses a large number of wildtype and mutant fish strains. It allows large genetic screens carried out as collaborations between multiple laboratories, and can provide animals and training for laboratories wishing to try pilot zebrafish experiments.

Gretchen King, Ph.D., Director
Radiobiology Building, Room 10
801-585-6574
gking@cores.utah.edu

The Bioinformatics Core provides consulting, training, and analysis services for researchers using one-color or two-color microarrays. The services include consultation on experimental design (gene expression, CGH, or ChIP-chip), choice of appropriate microarray platform, selection of analysis methods or tools, and annotation of microarrays.

Bioinformatics Core Facility Wiki

Brett Milash, Co-Director
Huntsman Cancer Institute, Room 3346
brett.milash@hci.utah.edu
801-585-0567

David Nix, Co-Director
Huntsman Cancer Institute
david.nix@hci.utah.edu
801-587-4611

The aim of the C. elegans ‘Worm’ facility is to help facilitate research using the worm as a model organism to study gene function.  Consultation and training are provided to laboratories new to the worm field and to experienced worm laboratory personnel who may wish to gain technical expertise or help with experimental design.  For researchers new to the C. elegans field we can help you decide whether the worm system would be beneficial to your research goals.  We can provide technical help to establish the expression pattern of your gene(s) of interest and begin a preliminary investigation of gene function by performing RNA interference (RNAi) assays.  Other services provided by the worm facility include the generation of transgenic animals, cell identification of gene expression and worm sorting using a COPAS Biosort, which can isolate worms based on size and/or fluorescence.  We have also developed high-throughput methodologies for genome-wide RNAi and drug screens that can be performed quickly and efficiently. The worm facility also offers a central resource for RNAi clones, expression vectors, common worm mutant strains, and transgenic animals that express a variety of fluorescent proteins useful for cell identification and/or screens.

Colin Thacker, Ph.D., Director
Medical Research and Education Building (MREB), room 414
cthacker@cores.utah.edu
801-585-0620