Illumina iScan system with processing equipment for the Infinium and GoldenGate B

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this application is to fund the purchase of an advanced and comprehensive platform to significantly enhance the genomic analysis capabilities of the H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. The iScan system and the associated processing equipment from the Illumina Corporation support the Infinium and GoldenGate BeadArray technologies. The specific technologies designed around the Illumina BeadArray microarray system allow investigators to investigate genomes or transcriptomes from fresh samples, frozen samples, or formalin fixed paraffin embedded samples. The DASL technology also allows investigators to use skin and other surface epithelia to perform microarray experimentation rather than rely on more invasive techniques to acquire samples. This microarray system will allow researchers to perform high, medium, and low throughput studies of gene expression or genomic evaluation. The flexibility of the system will allow researchers to perform a highly focused number of assays per sample or increase the number of assays per sample up to the genome-wide evaluation of the genome or transcriptome. The acquisition of this instrument will allow investigators at the Cancer Center to make a more comprehensive evaluation of the genetic factors that predispose individuals to develop cancer, to understand the physiology and developmental history of individual tumors, and to assess the personal and disease specific factors that contribute to the successful treatment of cancer. The proposed research projects supported by this instrument use both focused investigations and genome wide assessments to investigate the genetic factors that might influence the incidence or severity of ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. Additionally, they look at epigenetic and transcriptional factors that might contribute to the development of lung cancer or the recurrence of breast cancer. These projects just begin to describe the types of experimentation possible with the BeadArray technology. The instrument, and the supported technology, will greatly expand the avenues of investigation available to researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center and enable depth of characterization of genetic and genomic changes in cancer that has previously not been possible.