Centralized Core Services

Biostatistical support focuses on the following areas of service:

• Step 1 (preliminary study design): Advice regarding study design, sample size, variable selection and analysis options
• Step 2 (advanced study design): Review of draft research protocol with specific emphasis on the analysis section of protocol
• Step 3 (study implementation): Advice regarding the proper form for electronic collection of data, questionnaire construction or data acquisition
• Step 4 (study completion): Analysis and interpretation of results provided for supported studies; a written report, including summary tables, may be provided
• Step 5 (publication): Statistical interpretation section of manuscripts will be reviewed for non-authored manuscripts; authored articles will have a statistical methodology section provided

The central processing laboratory is equipped with molecular biology and cytometric analysis instrumentation for cancer biomarker analysis and tumor tissue processing/pathological review.

The core has the capability for sterile, viable circulating tumor cell capture using advanced, high-throughput FACS/flow cytometry analysis that uses a customized aseptic sorting Beckman Coulter MoFlo MDX FACS system.

Our equipment for biomarker molecular analyses includes:

• Freezer/refrigerator
• MagPix molecular analyte array analyzer
• CO2 Incubator
• Autoclave
• Gel Logic 4000 pro DNA/protein imaging system
• Zeiss Axio Observer 2A microscope and standard and invert Leitz phase contrast microscopes
• Smart2Pure Water System
• Six-color MoFlo XDP Sterile high-speed flow FACS cytometer contained in a dedicated Class II-A laminar flow for aseptic cell sorting and circulating tumor cell isolation
• Four-color Accuri flow cytometer
• BioRad Real Time PCR thermocycler
• Stratagene Real Time PCR System
• Cytospin centrifuge
• LN2
• Gaseous and dry ice CO2 and 2 EVAC vacuum aspirators and hot plates
• Heat blocks, vortexes, sonicator, pH meter and pipettors