- Core B - BioCore Core B provides the resources and expertise to process specimens for the hematological, neuroendocrine, glucoregulatory, metabolic and cytokine indices needed for the research projects. The Core has the requisite infrastructure and oversight capabilities to ensure reliable and high quality data are generated in a high throughput manner with centralized testing at single sites. Specifically, the Core works with the 3 clinician- researchers who supervise nursing staff acquiring blood, urine and saliva specimens at the 3 regional Clinical Research Units. The BioCore then coordinates many tests at two CAP and CLIA-certified clinical laboratories for evaluating glucoregulation and lipid metabolism, as well as neuroendocrine assays, including catecholamines via LC/MS at the Endocrine Services unit of the UW-CTR. Some analytes are determined at labs that specialize in specific methods, such as dried blood spots (DBS) for the Retention-Early Warning project, run at the CLIA-CAP accredited Clinical Laboratories of the University of Washington School of Medicine. Core B also conducts assays, including multi-cytokine arrays using an electrochemiluminescence platform. Core B receives the saliva specimens for the Daily Stress project, monitors shipment integrity of the specimens upon receipt, and oversees the assay of salivary cortisol. To fulfill these functions, the Core is the primary liaison with project investigators and with medical directors at the testing labs, including Meriter Labs in Madison, WI and ARUP in Salt Lake City, UT. It has its own biochemical facilities for safe processing, including certified biosafety cabinets and fume hoods, follows Biosafety Level-2 protocols, and has the requisite number of ultracold freezers for long-term storage of archival aliquots. The scientific expertise of the Core staff positions MIDUS to be able to add innovative indices, such as ones employed in the Gene Expression project. It has enabled us to refine and validate more sensitive assays with Lower Limits of Detection (e.g., reducing the LLOD for urinary epinephrine by 1000-fold). In addition to assays and diagnostic testing, the Core is responsible for creating the data files of initial test results, which employ a distinct study code to protect participant confidentiality. In keeping with this record-keeping role, the Core serves as the repository for all original paper records of test results. It is responsible for all aspects of quality assurance, including monitoring the integrity of shipped specimens, quality control testing of assay reliability over time, and determines the need for any retesting of specimens, as well as oversees the 24/7 surveillance of our archival specimen repository in ultracold freezers. Finally, the Core has a pedagogical role. It generates norms for MIDUS test results to serve as a reference for investigators. In this educational capacity, the Core Director also provides instruction, giving workshops on specific biomarkers at the MIDUS meetings and consults with investigators on interpreting the meaning of biomarkers. The effectiveness and past success of the Core are evinced by 122 publications using MIDUS biomarker data, 47% of which were published in the last two years.
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