Molecular Biology Core

Director: Steven Abcouwer, Ph.D.
Staff: Phil Kish, PhD
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 734-277-5178
Fax: 734-615-0542

The Molecular Biology Core facilitates and expedites vision research by providing an array of services involving molecular biology technologies, statistical genetics, and bioinformatics. The Core also provides access to large equipment that would be impractical for a single lab to acquire or maintain.

Project Priority

  • NEI-funded investigations
  • Generation of pilot data for vision grant proposals
  • Collaborative investigations involving vision research

Primary Services

  • Maintenance/oversight of Core equipment
  • Training and certification for experimentation involving Core equipment and protocols
  • Facilitating MCORES usage
  • Gene expression, statistical, analytical experiment support and analysis
  • ‘OMICS data storage (as needed)
  • Emergency and defrosting freezer storage

Experimentation/Protocols

  • SNP and GWAS analysis
  • Gene expression data analysis
  • Quantitative PCR assay design and analysis
  • RNA-Seq sequence data processing pipeline, differential expression and bioinformatic analysis for bulk and single-cells
  • Other molecular biology protocols, depending on availability

Equipment

Some pieces of equipment must be reserved for use. Reserve Equipment here.

RNA, DNA, Protein, Quantification and ELISA

  • Agilent 2200 Tape Station
  • Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100
  • BioTek Epoch plate Spectrophotometer
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Nanodrop 1000 Spectrophotometer
  • PerkinElmer Lambda Bio20 UV/Vis Spectrophotometer

Quantification PCR

  • BioRad CFX 96
  • BioRad CFX 384
  • BioRad Opus 384

Digital Imaging

  • Azure Biosystems 600 Imaging System
  • FluoroChem E Imager

Sample Preparation

  • Large capacity centrifuges
    • Beckman Avanti J-26 centrifuge
    • Beckman Coulter Opima L-90K ultracentrifuge
    • Sorvall Super T21 centrifuge
    • Benchtop centrifuges
  • Vacuum concentrators
    • Savant ISS 110 Integrated SpeedVac System
  • Ultrapure water purification systems
    • Milli-Q Reference (2)

Other devices

  • Tuttnauer-Brinkman 3870E tabletop autoclave

Past Projects

Microarray Analysis

Statistical analysis heat map

Bulk RNAseq analysis