The Microarray Shared Resource provides microarray services to members of the Cancer Center as well as to other University investigators. These services include printing of microarray slides, analysis of samples on an Agilent BioAnalyzer to define RNA quality, labeling of samples with Cy3 and Cy5 fluorescent dyes, microarray hybridization, microarray scanning and data capture, data analysis, and cDNA clone distribution. The facility has acquired several key pieces of instrumentation including an Amersham Lucidea Array Spotter, an Axon 4000B Scanner, an Agilent BioAnalyzer, two BioMicro Systems MAUI hybridization units, a Packard Instruments Multiprobe II liquid handler, and an MJ Research Tetrad thermal cycler. Scanned arrays are quantified using BioDiscovery ImaGene software; GeneSight software is available to clients of the Microarray Resource for gene mining and data analysis of their arrays. A microarray laboratory information management system is used to track clones, slides, workflow, samples, experiment requests and data. The Microarray Resource has acquired an extensive collection of cDNA clones that includes human (42,000), mouse (34,000), yeast ORFs (6,000), yeast intergenic sequences (6,000), Drosophila (12,000), Planaria (4,000) and newt (1,500). On an annual basis, approximately 2000 microarray analyses are performed. The Microarray Resource proposes to enhance services in the following areas: expansion of the current clone collections, enhancement of microarray data storage capability, and increased levels of support for microarray data analysis and interpretation. To expand our ability to offer microarrays derived from experimental organisms actively used in cancer studies, we hope to acquire a zebrafish oligo library collection. To improve data storage capabilities of the Microarray Resource, we plan to acquire an Iomega NAS P850m data storage server (funding requested in the Informatics Shared Resource). An additional area of emphasis at the facility will be to provide consultation in experimental design, analysis and interpretation of data. To accomplish this goal, we have added a staff member to focus on consulting with our clients in these areas.
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