MICROARRAY

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Since its establishment in November 2004, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) Microarray Core has provided services with affordable rates and flexibility in a timely manner to Cancer Center members across the Hopkins Medical Campus. The Core operates such that it supplies platforms not primarily offered by other array Cores throughout the School of Medicine and it is closely linked, for high level computational needs of users, to the new Bioinformatics Core in the Cancer Center. Since the last renewal, the Core has added to its full Agilent expression and DNA platforms, lllumina Infinium BeadChip technology including the Infinium platform for genome wide, promoter region DNA methylation. Thus, using both Agilent and lllumina technologies, the Core now offers assays for gene expression, micro RNA expression, DNA copy number variation, ChlP-on-chip, and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling. SNP analysis is also possible with the Core's current platforms. The probe density on the arrays and level of sample throughput have been increased significantly since the last renewal to efficiently meet the increased research needs of Cancer Center members. The Core's services also include DNA and RNA extraction from submitted samples, quality assessment of all submitted RNA and DNA samples, bisulfate treatment and quality control assessment of DNA for the Infinium methylation platform, and experiment design consultation. Real time PCR confirmation of expression array data is also provided. Preliminary data analysis and help in using software for data analysis are offered. The Core participates in computational biology seminars arranged by the Bioinformatics Core and arranges presentations by Agilent, lllumina, and other array offering companies to all Cancer Center and others throughout the School of Medicine. Lay: The Microarray Core provides different DNA microarray solutions to meet the needs of genomic research as well as related services including sample isolation and software training for data analysis.