The Bioanalytical Core will serve a four-fold function within the DCRC: 1) Core facility for assessing levels of immunopotentiating bioactive components of Trametes versicolor (Tv) and in tissues and serum provided by the three Projects; 2) Storage and distribution facility for the Tv extracts and control test compounds to all of the projects; 3) Central facility for beta-glucan fractionation, enzymatic degradation, and labeling; and 4).Training facility to learn botanical bioanalysis. The Core will be located at the University of Minnesota and lead by Dennis McKenna, PhD, a leading expert on mushrooms. Dr. McKenna will be responsible for performing all analyses performed within the Core. He will receive extracts from Paul Stamets and Gary Ostroff, PhD, maintain chain of custody On all test products and assess stability at regular intervals. He will work with the Minnesota Cellular and Cellular therapeutics facility to ensure quality control and purity of all Tv extracts as well as creation of a lyophilized Tv extract for clinical trials in the DCRC. Dr. Ostroff, an internationally recognized leader in beta-glucan research will serve as a consultant working with Dr. McKenna to a) fractionate, isolate and purify beta-glucan fractions from complex Tv extracts; b) enzymatically degrade beta-glucans in Tv to create a test compound for use in Projects 1 and 2; and c) create a fluorescently labeled purified beta-glucan for use in biodistribution studies.. The core will greatly benefit from the availability of high quality instrumentation, these resources, coupled with expert consultants will allow us to meet the analytical challenges posed by the Project Leaders and perform their research aims within the DCRC.
