We currently list 662 active users from approximately one hundred different laboratories from within NCI. Those labs include: Basic Research Lab, Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, Dermatology Branch, Experimental Immunology Branch, Experimental Transplantations and Immunology Branch, HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, HIV DRP Host Virus Interaction Branch, Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, Metabolism Branch, Pediatric Oncology Branch, Vaccine Branch, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Laboratory, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Laboratory of Experimental Carcinogenesis, Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Laboratory of Metabolism, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pathology, Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling, and the Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression. There have been over 2,400 different users since the core began. We have had 145 new users sign up for the service during the past twelve months. We accept DNA samples for polymerase chain reactions to be performed by the MiniCore, as well as samples where the user has done their own polymerase chain reactions. By limiting the range of services we offer, we are able to focus our operation and to optimize performance. In the past year we have processed over 86,000 samples. Users received their results within one business day more than 97% of the time when they did their own reactions and 99% of the time when the reactions were done by the Core. Our users were asked to select the area of research for each submission to the core. There were over 100 different areas selected. Some of those areas selected the most often were molecular biology (27%), immunology (10%), basic breast cancer (5%), genetics, DNA repair, non Hodgkins Lymphoma and leukemia. Cancer education, ALS, hematology, skin, biotechnology research, lung and ovarian cancer were also selected often. The other areas were very diverse from pain, aging, diabetes, kidney disease, obesity, arthritis, hematology, and drug resistance. The DNA Sequencing MiniCore assists hundreds of different researchers in a multitude of areas of research. For the first eleven months in FY 11, the Core ran approximately 1,200 NanoString Digital Gene expression samples. The Core also has a program of buying Big Dye reaction mix in bulk from ABI and aliquoting it for sale to users at cost. Recently, the program was expanded to include all persons within CCR, even if they did not use the core for sequencing. Accomplishments The DNA MiniCore saved the National Cancer Institute over $107,000 from August 2010 until August 2011. This was done through a program where the core purchases Big Dye in bulk discounted quantities and then aliquots it and sells it to members of National Cancer Institute, at our cost. The cost for the polymerase chain reaction, clean up and electrophoresis was reduced to $7/sample. In fiscal 2011 we reduced the cost for just the electrophoresis to $2/sample. The Core will process over 86,000 sequencing samples this year. NanoString Digital Gene Expression Analysis instrument is now housed in the core and we offer it as a service at $22/sample for the RNA samples and $5/sample for the miRNA samples. In FY 2011 we ran over 1,200 Digital Gene Expression samples. The Core continues to offer high quality sequencing with a 24 hour turn-around time while making the newest technology available to researchers. We were part of a Site Visit in May 2009 and got a very positive report.
