In addition to the equipment available in their individual laboratories, faculty and trainees in our Department have access to additional equipment and resources that are integrated under a number of core facilities through the Center of Hypertension and Personalized Medicine.

Genomic Core, which contains all the necessary equipment for genotyping, functional assays, mutation detection and positional cloning, such as StepOnePlus™ 96-well Real-Time PCR System (AB-biosystem); digital recording system for agarose electrophoretograms (Gel logic-100 imaging system); Applied Biosystems (ABI) 7500Fast qPCR machine and Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer, among others.

Bioinformatics Core, which provides the infrastructure for the analysis and visualization of large datasets, with an emphasis on various sequencing data and promotes individual researchers to tap the ever-growing data generated by new research technologies (RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, DNA-Seq, and Methyl-Seq).

Biochemical Core, which contains all the standard equipment necessary for all biochemical analysis from tissue/cell culture samples.

Microbiome Core, which is equipped with an Illumina MiSeq next generation sequencer that can generate 15 Giga bases and enables pooling of 96 samples in a library for metagenomics analysis. The core provides 16S metagenomics services for internal and external users, including DNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing and data analysis from a variety of biological samples (feces, saliva, oral swabs, tissues) of rodent, fish and human origin. After sequencing, data (FASTQ files) is processed and provided to the user in a compressed folder that includes operational taxonomic unit (OUT) summary, diversity analysis, taxa summary, enriched taxa, predicted functional pathways and statistical analyses. The microbiome core also performs whole genome sequencing for cultured bacteria using Illumina Nextera XT library kit, with as little as 10ng of DNA.
For pricing and more information click here: Microbiota/Microbial Community Services.

Micro CT and Skeletal Research Resource Core, led by Dr. Piotr Czernik, assists researchers with comprehensive analysis of bone structure, imaging and quantification of lipids in bone marrow and soft tissue samples, in vivo assessment of body composition, bone mineral density and bone mineral content in small rodents. The facility is equipped with a Scanco μCT 35 x-ray scanner, an HP Integrity rx2660 workstation dedicated to image acquisition, processing, and analysis, and a GE Lunar PIXImus II dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) system.

Volumetric imaging of bone and subsequent 3D image analysis allows for the quantitative assessment of a variety of structural properties including micro architecture, geometric parameters, volumes of individual compartments, distribution of bone mineral density, and alterations of bone structure induced by physical, pharmacological, or biological factors.

Standardized protocols for typical studies are listed below; customized procedures suited for unique projects can be developed upon request.

The facility renders conventional and customized approaches to 3D imaging and analysis of a variety of specimens and provides assistance in experimental design.

Faculty and trainees in our department also have access to additional Centralized Core Resources in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences:

EXERCISE RAT RESOURCES

We have developed rat models of aerobic exercise endurance capacity because of the close association of this phenotype with disease risks. Via two-way artificial selection we have generated models for intrinsic capacity and response to training.

Request Animal Resources Publications and Significant Works

LOW AND HIGH CAPACITY RUNNERS

Intrinsic Aerobic Running Capacity Models (LCR and HCR): In 1996 we started artificial divergent selection for intrinsic aerobic endurance running capacity using genetically heterogeneous N:NIH stock of rats as a founder population (n = 168). Selection for low and high capacity was based upon distance run to exhaustion on a motorized treadmill using a velocity-ramped running protocol. At each generation, within-family selection was practiced using 13 families for both the low and high lines. A rotational breeding paradigm maintained the coefficient of inbreeding at less than 1% per generation.

LOW AND HIGH RESPONSE TRAINERS

Response to Training Models (LRT and HRT): In 2002 a selection program for response to training was started from a founder population of 100 male and 100 female rats from the genetically heterogenous N:NIH stock. Response to training was operationally defined as the difference in a test of maximal treadmill running capacity conducted before and after 8 weeks of treadmill exercise training. A selection and rotational breeding program between 10 families for the low and high lines was started as the initial step to develop divergent genetic models.

Visit Dr. Lauren Koch's profile page. You may also contact her at Lauren.Koch2@utoledo.edu.