Core Laboratories
Cell Culture Core
Childhood Cancer Repository
This core laboratory serves as the Childhood Cancer Repository, powered by Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. New patient-derived cell lines (PDCLs) and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are initiated from both adults and children with cancer, expanded, characterized, and readied for distribution. The core can also provide cell lines that are obtained from other sources (if those lines can be subdistributed) to TTUHSC investigators. All cell lines are tested for mycoplasma and cell line identity verified by short tandem repeat (STR) (see Cell Line Identification). Storage of "back up" cryopreserved samples is available for TTUHSC investigators. The PDX portion of this core is supported by the Cancer Animal Models Core.
Cell Line and PDX Molecular Identification Service
Contacts for the core:
Kristyn McCoy
kristyn.mccoy@ttuhsc.edu
Jonas Nance
jonas.nance@ttuhsc.edu
Cancer Animal Models Core
TTUSC has a robust cancer animal models Core Facility located on the TTUHSC Lubbock campus that is funded by Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grant # RP190524, PI: Scott Trasti, DVM. The Core maintains a Barrier Suite which supports research using immunocompromised mice that are utilized for xenograft and other cancer studies. The core can house up to 1700 IVC cages (~8000 animals).
The Core maintains an IVIS Lumina XR (Perkins-Elmer) for bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging, a Bruker Skyscan 1276 micro CT scanner, and a SonoSite S-Nerve Ultrasound system. For animal irradiation the core has an RS 200 X-ray Irradiator. The Core also operates a Heska Element HT5 Hematology Analyzer, and a Heska Element DC5X Clinical Chemistry Analyzer for bloodwork. A SP Scientific HistoChill Tissue Freezing Bath, and a Zeiss Axioscan 7 Digital Slide Scanner are also available.
The Core Facility maintains two Research Veterinary Technicians who are available for training and animal work. Dr. Trasti is available for veterinary pathology consultation.
Contacts for the core:
Scott Trasti, DVM
Cell Line Identification
An alarming number of cell lines have been found to be either mis-identified or cross-contaminated, so investigators are conducting research with cell lines that are not from the patient they are thought to come from, and often are not even derived from patients with the same type of cancer, or are of animal origin. The TTUHSC Cancer Center promotes good practice in the use of cell lines and xenografts by making available a robust short tandem repeat analysis of cell line identification. Cancer Center investigators maintain a searchable STR database online for the COG Childhood Cancer repository with 1000's of STR profiles in a searchable database to facilitate validating cell line identify or insuring newly established lines are unique and not cross-contaminated.
» STR Methods for Authentication of Human Cell Cultures and Tissues
Contacts for cell line identification:
Kristyn McCoy
kristyn.mccoy@ttuhsc.edu
Jonas Nance
jonas.nance@ttuhsc.edu
Flow Cytometry Core
The core occupies 500 sq.ft. and is equipped with a BD LSRFortessa X-20 16 color analyzer and a BD FACSaria 13 color cell sorter. The facility contains a laminar flow hood. The core provides access by all qualified personnel to the Fortessa analyzer and assistance with measuring cell surface and intracellular antigens, DNA content, cell cycle, TUNEL staining, mitochondrial membrane permeability, and reactive oxygen species. Access to the FACSaria is via the core technician who conducts cell sorting as needed. The Core is purchasing a new cell sorter, supported by a CPRIT grant (RP230447).
Contacts for the core:
Core Director: Min Kang, PharmD
min.kang@ttuhsc.edu
Core technician: Katie Furr, MS
kathryn.furr@ttuhsc.edu
Molecular Biology Core
The core supports Quantitative RT-PCR with an ABI Quantstudio 7, an ABI Quantstudio 3, and a Biorad CFX96. Other instrumentation includes a Quantus flurometer, a Nanodrop One, and an Agilent 2100.
The core also has an ABI 3500 XL DNA Sequencer sequencer optimized for Short Tandem Repeat assays (STR) provides robust cell line identification. At this time routine sequencing is not done on this instrument, but related analysis, such as fragment analysis (to detect small genomic deletions) are conducted on this sequencer.
Recharges: Currently no recharges are imposed except for STR testing.
Contacts for the core:
Kristyn McCoy
kristyn.mccoy@ttuhsc.edu
Jonas Nance
jonas.nance@ttuhsc.edu
Pharmacology Core
Support for Cancer Center investigators for pharmacokinetics (in clinical trials and preclinical studies) and pharmacodynamics is provided by the West Texas Pharmacology Core, which is funded by CPRIT grant RP220631 to Dr. Min Kang.
Visit Page: West Texas Pharmacology Core
Core Director: Min Kang, PharmD
Biobanking Core
The Biobanking Core collects and banks consented blood samples and tumor samples from patients with cancer via a South Plains Oncology Consortium biobanking study. The biobank has samples from > 4000 patients from a variety of cancer types. The biobank has established a large number of patient-derived cell lines and patient-derived xenografts. In addition to the the cryopreserved and snap-frozen material available in the biobank, FFPE sections can be accessed from the blocks stored in clinical pathology laboratories. This core is funded in part by CPRIT RP210154 (PI: CP Reynolds).
Contacts for the core:
Kristyn McCoy
kristyn.mccoy@ttuhsc.edu
Jonas Nance
jonas.nance@ttuhsc.edu
Regulatory Sciences Core
This core supports faculty in preparing and submitting applications for review by appropriate committees overseeing human subjects and animal research. The core also supports those investigators filing and maintaining Investigational New Drug applications with the FDA. The core is directed by Barry Maurer, MD PhD.
Core contact:
Amanda Knight, RN
Email: Amanda.Knight@ttuhsc.edu
Biostatistics Bioinformatics Core
This core supports faculty in biostatistical design of experiments, analysis of data. It also supports analysis of complex data sets requiring bioinformatics.
Core Director: Nighat Noureen, PhD
Email: Nighat.Noureen@ttuhsc.edu
