The Urologic Biomedical Research Core (UBRC) will serve as the nexus for data acquisition and analysis at the University of Wisconsin George M. O Brien Urology Cooperative Research Center, performing rodent urinary function testing, coordinating collection and archival storage of human and mouse prostate tissue specimens, providing high quality histology services and specialized tissue imaging, and coordinating interaction with the Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation (LOCI) and the Translational Research Initiatives in Pathology (TRIP) Laboratory. Centralization of these activities will ensure each Center project uses the same standardized protocols for performance of mouse urinary function testing, sample preparation and viewing, image acquisition, and data analysis. Additionally, UBRC staff will provide training in morphologic techniques to Center investigators at the UW-Madison and elsewhere, cultivating expertise among participating labs. UBRC services will significantly enhance the ability of Center team members to characterize mouse models of lower urinary tract dysfunction and to make comparative analyses between mouse and human prostate specimens by revealing histological and molecular themes that permeate both species. Collaborative data analysis by UBRC staff and investigators ensures maximal scientific discovery from individual projects while also engendering cross-project interaction. These interactions will provide the unique advantage of fostering integrated discovery across projects, including early identification of and support for new investigative collaborations, cross-project meta-analysis of results, and sharing of technical refinements and new approaches. Another key function of the UBRC is development of a generally-accessible repository for data to be shared with extramural urologic researchers through image and protocol submission to a central, searchable, open access database. UBRC members will regularly communicate their observations to Center members through monthly lab meetings and educational slide reviews. This exceptional level of investigative cooperation would not be possible without a centralized core facility.
The Urologic Biomedical Research Core (UBRC) provides a centralized node of technical and professional support for analyses of rodent lower urinary function testing and human and rodent tissues by the Wisconsin O'Brien Cooperative Research Center.
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