Micrarray Core

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The musculoskeletal research field is becoming increasingly focused on studies at the genetic level.[unreadable] In particular, a variety of evaluation tools have recently been developed that allow investigators to[unreadable] understand the molecular systems in which biological processes occurs. The field of functional[unreadable] genomics seeks to annotate genomic sequence with assignments of gene and regulatory element[unreadable] identities and locations, RNA variants and abundance levels, and protein variants, abundances and[unreadable] interactions. As functional annotations accumulate, detailed and in-depth studies of specific genes[unreadable] and their products can be placed into a genomic context to reveal the molecular systems. In turn,[unreadable] those systems and processes can be studied using functional genomics techniques to identify the[unreadable] genes important for their regulation. One such technique is transcript profiling, the parallel[unreadable] quantitation of RNA abundance for thousands of genes. Transcript profiling can be open-ended,[unreadable] using methods that do not rely on previous knowledge of gene sequences, or closed to a defined[unreadable] set of probes for known RNAs. The Penn Microarray Facility provides instrumentation and[unreadable] expertise for RNA transcript profiling. The overall objective of this Microarray Core Facility is to[unreadable] develop and utilize genomic analyses directed toward problems of musculoskeletal tissue injury and[unreadable] repair. The Specific Aims are to: 1) provide guidance and training on the capabilities, advantages,[unreadable] and disadvantages, of various genomic protocols and analyses for musculoskeletal research[unreadable] through formal educational enrichment programs and through one-on-one interactions, 2) provide[unreadable] expertise and service for Affymetrix GeneChip assays, 3) provide expertise and service for the[unreadable] development and use of custom printed microarrays, 4) facilitate access to training and[unreadable] bioinformatics tools appropriate for analyzing the data produced in Aims 2 and 3, and 5) provide[unreadable] funding for development of new projects and collaborations and to develop preliminary and/or[unreadable] feasibility data for investigators. Successful completion of these aims will significantly enhance the[unreadable] environment and the capabilities of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, leading to the[unreadable] development of novel and innovative approaches to musculoskeletal disorders.