The Molecular Genomics Core provides high-throughput analysis of genetic and epigenetic variations to researchers and clinicians of the USC Norris. The Core has two well-developed and differentiated sites: Health Sciences Campus (HSC) and Children?s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). The HSC site works with research samples, while the CHLA site specializes in providing services in a CLIA-compliant environment. The facility is led by Dr. David Van Den Berg, who has served as Core Director since 1999, with the support of two Co- Directors: Dr. Timothy Triche, CHLA, since 1999, and Dr. Charles Nicolet, HSC, since 2011. The Core continues to provide Cancer Center members with high-throughput biospecimen processing, DNA profiling of genetic variation, epigenetic profiling of DNA methylation and chromatin conformation, and expression profiling. At the time of the last CCSG renewal, the Molecular Genomics Core received a merit rating of excellent to outstanding. During the project period, the Core has acquired additional hardware platforms (Nanostring nCounter, Taqman Low Density Arrays, Ion Torrent PGM and Protons, Fluidigm BioMark, 2 x Illumina MiSeq and 2 x Illumina NextSeq500) to supplement existing capabilities for analysis of genetic variation, epigenetic variation and gene expression. It served as the only data production site for methylation assays for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), one of only a few sites processing the HumanOncoArray beadchip the OncoChip Consortium, and one of the largest Illumina single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and DNA methylation array production sites in the US. The facility has also supported the NCI Children?s Oncology Group (COG) and NCI funded TARGET program, which is profiling childhood cancer akin to TCGA?s role in adult cancer. In FY 2013-2014, 101 Cancer Center members (48% of users), of which 80 were peer-reviewed funded (38% of users) from seven Research Programs used the Molecular Genomics Core to accomplish their research objectives. The Core will continue to utilize expertise in high-throughput platforms to provide cost-effective options from single base to genome-wide analysis. The Core will continue to identify new technologies and services that may be offered to advance USC Norris research and to evaluate existing services for costeffectiveness and value added.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 842 publications
