It is the specific aim of this proposal to establish a central facility for the cytogenetic analysis of normal and pathological specimens and cell lines derived from such samples as described in the research summaries of the major user group members. This shared facility will be built around the AKS II(TM) Cytogenetic Analysis System. The active and proposed research of the major users is constrained by the labor intensive nature of manual cytogenetic analysis, particularly where the analysis requires the detailed characterization of complex structural chromosome changes. Advances in chromosome analysis technology have led to systems which automate many of the tedious aspects of cytogenetic analysis. The AKS II(TM) Cytogenetic Analysis System for which we are requesting support, has been evaluated and compared to other systems by the professional and technical staff of the Cytogenetics Laboratory (Dr. Susanne Gollin, Dr. Sofia Shekhter-Levin, Dr. Neil Wald, Dr. Patrick Storto) and found to be the instrument of choice for the automation of a variety of analyses required by the described research projects. No automated cytogenetic analysis system is available for research applications at the University of Pittsburgh. An IRS Cytoscan system is in place at an affiliated hospital, Magee-Womens Hospital, but this system is optimized for the detection of simple numerical changes and is dedicated (100% use) to the clinical activities of the Department of Reproductive Genetics.
