Biospecimen and Bioinformatics Core

University Of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Biospecimen and Bioinformatics Core will provide a core resource for the processing, storage, and distribution of biospecimens collected from the clinical studies described in Core B and will provide integrated and advanced Bioinformatics support for Th2-phenotyping and additional genomic analyses proposed in the projects. The analysis of gene and protein expression in human tissues requires close attention to quality with respect to processing and storage and we have considerable experience with proven protocols for handling all of the human samples that will be collected across the projects proposed here. In addition, data analysis for mRNA and miRNA expression studies, especially those which employ high- throughput platforms such as expression microarrays or Fluidigm BioMark PCR, require specialized protocols and expertise with respect to data processing and analysis, and we have developed a formal Bioinformatics resource with optimized protocols for handling these specific data analysis challenges. Finally, the gold-standard assignment of TH2-phenotype depends on a standardized analysis of gene expression in airway epithelial brushings. Using the capabilities of this formal Biospecimen Bank and Bioinformatics resource, the core will have three specific aims: 1).To provide specialized processing, secure storage, and timely distribution of the human biospecimens collected from the clinical studies, 2) To establish the gold- standard assignment of Th2-phenotype to subjects enrolled in the clinical studies through analysis of airway epithelial gene expression, 3) To provide integrated and advanced bioinformatics support for additional genomic analyses proposed by each of the three projects which comprise this Program Project Grant application.