 | June 2012 |  |
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| Medicine announces eight basic science core platforms | | Posted Thursday, June 7, 2012 11:12 AM |
| | NEWS |
| Peter Nickerson, associate dean, research, Faculty of Medicine, Digvir Jayas, VP (research and international) and Christina Weise, executive director of the Manitoba Health Research Council, have announced Basic Science Core Platform funding to enhance health research capacity, discovery and innovation in Manitoba.
Over the next five years, the Faculty of Medicine, VPRIO, and MHRC will invest $2.4 million in the core platforms. Combined with contributions of $900,000 by Manitoba academic health science network partners, U of M researchers will have access to the state-of-the-art tools needed to be competitive for national funding (e.g. CIHR, NSERC, CFI, CRC, NCE, and Prairie Genome). It will also assist U of M researchers to form key partnerships nationally and internationally with academic and biotechnology sector organizations.
Information about core platforms will be hosted on the Faculty of Medicine research office website. To ensure optimal access to the platforms, core leaders will host workshops at regular intervals.
The scope of the instrumentation supports research at the DNA, RNA, protein, cellular and whole organ levels as well as enabling basic, translational and clinical research by faculty and partners.
Building on the capital investments from CFI, Province of Manitoba and the U of M, the eight core facilities were launched in May to support the biomedical research community in Manitoba.
Next Generation Sequencing Core Platform at the Manitoba Institute for Children’s Health (MICH), 523 John Buhler Research Centre; core platform leader, James R. Davie:
Next generation DNA sequencing has become an essential component of scientific and medical research and allow researchers to conduct genetic and epigenetic research. These techniques are critical to basic, translational and clinical research and to the advent of personalized medicine.
Lentiviral Vector Viral Particles Production Core Platform at 4th Floor Apotex Centre, core platform leaders Sam Kung, Jiuyong Xie:
Understanding how a protein functions in complex biological processes is key to basic biomedical research and identification of novel drug targets in human diseases. The platform will facilitate discovery and validation of gene/protein functions in basic and translational research in Manitoba.
Core Platform for Molecular Imaging at Genomic Center for Cancer Research and Diagnosis (GCCRD), at MICB, room ON6026; core platform leader, Sabine Mai: This core platform is a regional/national facility for all cutting edge imaging applications. The goals of the GCCRD are basic and translational research using molecular imaging approaches, and education of students and highly qualified personnel in genomic instability, cancer genetics and all aspects of imaging. Services and training are offered in molecular imaging both one on one and through regularly held imaging workshops both at an intermediate and advanced level.
Core Platform for Histology, Histomorphology, and Ultrastructural Imaging (SIM, EM) at department of human anatomy and cell science, Faculty of Medicine; core platform leader, Thomas Klonisch:
This platform will offer histomorphology services including tissue processing of paraffin and frozen tissues, various histological staining procedures and imaging of histological sections and fluorescent imaging services for the detection of cytoskeletal components in cultured cells and frozen tissues. Also offered will be educational modules, including annual graduate student training courses.
Flow Cytometry Core Platform at 4th floor Apotex Centre and 5th floor BMSB; core platform leaders Aaron Marshall, Keith Fowke:
Flow cytometry is well established as a clinical diagnostic tool and it remains an essential research tool for multiplex analyses of cellular biomarkers and isolation of rare cell populations. The core platform will regularly organize educational workshops to educate the user base regarding available instrument capabilities and encourage uptake of the most powerful cell labeling technologies.
Core Platform in Mass Spectroscopy Analysis of Proteins and Metabolites at Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology, 799 John Buhler Research; core Platform Leader, John Wilkins:
Mass spectrometry plays an essential role in protein discovery, quantitation, and monitoring of protein modifications, interactions and activities. This type of information is critical for the identification of biomarkers of disease activity or response to therapy and in the understanding of disease process. Workshops for students and researchers in the instrumentation and methodologies will be on-going.
Large scale RNA and Protein Analysis for immunological biomarkers in health and disease at 4th floor, Apotex Centre; core platform leader, Redwan Moqbel:
The complex immune system and response are integral to the development, progress, chronicity and resolution of most medical conditions, such as infectious diseases, autoimmunity, gastro-intestinal disorders and cancers. Collectively, the platform will allow large scale and robotic detection of a wide range of immunological biomarkers at both mRNA and protein levels. While focused on immunologically related mRNA and proteins its capabilities can be broadened.
Small Animal and Materials Imaging Core Platform in room 322 BSMB relocating to Central Animal Care, basement BSMB; core platform Leaders, Barbara Triggs-Raine, Andrew Halayko, Robert Madziak:
The U of M Small Animal and Materials Imaging Core Facility will bring capabilities for both structural and functional imaging to Manitoba scientists. Management of the Imaging Facility, including instrument operation, research consultation, and knowledge dissemination (e.g. web site, animal care “wet labs”, and workshops/courses on animal imaging) will be the responsibility of an imaging specialist to be hired as imaging facility coordinator.
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| | | For more information, contact:
Ilana Simon
Director of Communications & Marketing
Faculty of Medicine
simoni@cc.umanitoba.ca
Phone: (204) 789-3427
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