The morphology core will provide the expertise and equipment necessary for the design, application and analysis of morphological studies of the cutaneous basement membrane zone outlined in the five individual projects described in this application. Dr. Birk has directed electron microscopy core facilities at both Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Tufts University School of Medicine before coming to Jefferson Medical College. This experience coupled with his ongoing research on development and assembly of tissue-specific extracellular matrices will make him a valuable resource for the members of the Program Project Application. Dr. Birk will work with the project investigators to provide the necessary expertise for the design of specific morphological studies as well as their analysis. The environment at Jefferson is excellent and there are numerous other investigators that are available for consultation and input. Specifically, Dr. George Murphy, the Director of Jefferson?s Dermatopathology Laboratory and a contributor to past studies done as part of this Program Project will be a consultant. He will provide specific input on design and analysis where needed. In addition, his Dermatopathology Laboratory will continue to process the standard histopathology. As part of directing this core Dr. Birk will train and supervise the technical personnel required to perform the day to day technical aspects of the work. The morphology core will provide conventional transmission electron microscopy and immuno-electron microscopy for studies of human tissues (Projects 1 and 2), and animal models (Projects 4 and 5). In addition, rotary shadowing and negative staining for studies of macromolecular complexes will be provided for Project 3. The project directors have all utilized these approaches in the past, but the addition of the Core will allow these studies to be done primarily a Jefferson where direct input at all stages in the studies will be facilitated. While the focus of the morphology core will be to provide access to ultrastructural approaches, this cannot be done without appropriate histopathology and light microscopic immuno-localization studies. The core will function to help properly design and analyze these studies. However, the technical work will continue to be done in Jefferson's Dermatopathology Laboratory, directed by Dr. George Murphy. The morphology core will provide access to light microscopy, immunofluorscence microscopy as well as an image analysis system for less standard studies carried out by investigators in the different projects.
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