The over riding goal of this proposal is to facilitate the application of microarray technology to fundamental, hypothesis-driven research for NHLBI funded investigators at the University of Iowa. The proposed Shared Microarray Facility has three components: (A) Microarray Hybridization Laboratory, (B) Informatics Core Laboratory, and (C) Statistics Core Laboratory. The Microarray Hybridization Laboratory will be responsible for the following activities: (a) array fabrication: PCR amplification/purification of cDNA inserts from non-redundant arrayed cDNA collections, slide printing and processing; (b) RNA purification, target preparation/labeling, hybridization and post-hybridization processes, (c) scanning/imaging capturing, processing and analysis. Our proposal contains six projects linked to the laboratories of NHLBI funded investigators in the areas of heart and lung diseases. There are approximately 130 NHLBI investigators at the University of Iowa in the areas of heart, lung, blood, and sleep that could benefit from these facilities. The Shared Microarray Facility will provide these scientists with a broad range of individualized support including assistance with study design, construction of libraries, slide printing, analysis of microarray hybridization results including bioinformatic and statistical support. The bioinformatics support will also make sure that results from these studies are promptly made available to the community. The six initial projects include: 1) Differential Gene Expression in Developing Heart, 2) Differential Gene Expression in Circumventricular Organs: Insights to the Maintenance of Cardiovascular Homeostasis, 3) Differential Gene Expression Profiling in a Rat Model of Hypertension 4) Differential Gene Expression in Resting and RSV-Infected Airway Epithelia 5) Dissecting Airway Epithelial Innate Immune Responses using Microarray Technology 6) Differential Gene Expression in CF and non-CF Airway Epithelia.
