zArchived - UTSW Biomarker Research Core (BRC)

Overview of Services

 

The Biomarker Research Core (BRC) is focused on supporting investigator-initiated cancer clinical trials. The BRC supports the design and management of biomarker correlate studies including specimen collection, processing and coordination with other campus core facilities. The services provided by the BRC include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Work with clinical trials PIs to identify relevant laboratory correlates
• Assist in writing laboratory correlative sections for LOIs and protocols
• Develop budgets for correlative studies
• Provide pilot funding for development and validation of novel biomarker analyses
• Develop methods and perform analysis of specimens
• Collect, log, and track samples; distribute samples to collaborating research laboratories/core facilities
• Coordinate histologic assessment of biopsies; facilitate routine processing of samples (serum, plasma, lymphocyte prep, etc.) and advanced processing of samples (flow-cytometry, IHC, proteomics, protein expression, gene expression array analysis, etc.)
• Enable reimbursements for labs engaged in analyses

BRC occupies about 1500 ft2 laboratory space in the ND building, 2nd floor, in the North Campus location of UTSW. This space includes a wet laboratory area for samples processing and a biosafety level (BSL-2) level tissue culture room as well as storage area for ultra-low (-800) freezers (-200), refrigerators (40), and liquid nitrogen tanks. BRC laboratory is well equipped with instruments for clinical samples processing and storage, e.g refrigerated microcentrifuge, tabletop low-speed centrifuge, refrigerators, freezers, ultra-low freezers, liquid nitrogen cryo tanks etc.

BRC shares Cancer Center Equipment Core Facility provided equipment which includes one ultracentrifuge, several low-speed centrifuges. Other common use instruments include one scintillation counter, three transilluminators for electrophoretic gel work, a Molecular Dynamics PhosphorImager, and one Hewlett Packard spectrophotometer and Licor Odyssey Western Blot imager. Core area is equipped with several gyrator hybridization water baths, two Perkin-Elmer PCR machines, one MJ-research RT-PCR gradient machine, one illuminometer for luciferase assays, one BL960-MAC Molecular Dynamics microtiter plate reader, seven tissue culture hoods (located in four separate rooms), three chemical hoods, one Leica tissue culture inverted microscope, one Leica fluorescent (UV) microscope, one Perkin-Elmer fluorescence microtiter plate reader, two dissecting microscopes, nine Forma double-chambered CO2 tissue culture incubators, various-sized water baths held at different temperatures, several freezer-refrigerators, various electrophoretic power supplies, agarose gel boxes, and other small items needed for this work. Other shared facilities within the Department include rooms for media preparation, glassware wash-up and sterilization, a conference room, a current journal library within UTSW, online subscriptions to various Cancer-related journals, and one liquid nitrogen storage facility.

Leadership

David Gerber MD Professor/ Co-director   david.gerber@utsouthwestern.edu
Jason Park MD Professor/ Co-director   jason.park@utsothwestern.edu
Farjana Fattah PhD MBA Assisstant Professor 214-648-1109 farjana.fattah@utsouthwestern.edu

Location and hours of operation

Hours Location

Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM  

6001 Forest Park Road

ND 2.136

Dallas, TX 75235

Contacts

Name Role Phone Email Location
Farjana Fattah PhD MBA
Assisstant Professor
 
214-648-1109
 
farjana.fattah@utsouthwestern.edu