Resource and Service Section

Baylor College Of Medicine, Houston TX

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

5. ABSTRACT - Resource and Service Section (RSS) Poor reproducibility of published research employing model organisms and lack of transparency of study designs have become areas of concern for the scientific community. These issues can profoundly affect the interpretation of preclinical studies and must be addressed as genome editing technologies permit rapid modeling of patient- specific, disease-associated genetic variation and translation to the clinic in the forms of patient diagnosis, management, and treatment. At the heart of reproducibility issues are the model organisms themselves. Stability and identity of the genetic background, genome integrity, and specifics of genetically engineered alleles often vary between studies due to use of similar but independently developed models or differences in the quality of model maintenance. Moreover, variabilities in the quality of study designs used by different groups, including differences in the environment, methods for phenotyping, instrumentation, sample sizes, and data analysis and statistical methods, can significantly impact study conclusions. Centralization and standardization of high-quality production, maintenance, and phenotyping pipelines for animal models can begin to address issues with study reproducibility and transparency and have been highly successful for the BCM Undiagnosed Diseases Network Model Organism Screening Center (UDN MOSC) Fly Core, Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Project (KOMP2), and Center for Precision Medicine Models (CPMM). The Resource and Service Section (RSS) will continue to be responsible for definitive allele characterization of our models, resource maintenance, experimental cohort allocation to the Disease Modeling Unit (DMU), allele registration, and resource distribution to outside investigators. The RSS will continue to be the primary contact for outside investigators whose projects are supported by the Center and responsible for communicating the availability of standardized, transparent, and high-quality resources and services to the research community. Moreover, RSS leadership will continue to be responsible for evaluating and confirming adherence to regulatory guidelines and biohazard safety protocols. These goals will be accomplished through the following Aims: 1) Use an established management plan to support and review section operations, 2) Acquire, characterize, and maintain fly and mouse resources, 3) Preserve and distribute fly and mouse resources, 4) Coordinate Center activities for biomedical researchers, 5) Communicate the availability and quality of Center resources and services, and 6) Maintain adherence to regulatory guidelines and biohazard safety protocols.