CRISALIS

• Facility/Resource URL
  iLabs

  iLabs Account Request

• Biostatistics

  The Biostatistics Core has its academic home in the School of Graduate Studies and provides statistical support and services (i.e. statistical methodology and study design, sample size determination/power analysis, statistical analysis plan, data analytics, interpretation of results) using state of the art statistical methods and software to all Meharry faculty, staff, and students engaged in research as well as collaborators outside Meharry Medical College.
  Consulting services are offered for a fee. The Biostatistics Core will determine the time it will take to complete the project, and present the associated fee for the requested support to the investigator. Collaborative projects should fund a biostatistician’s effort in one of the following ways:

  1. Contracts: Contain biostatistician effort in the contract.
  2. Grants: Contain biostatistician support in the personnel budget.
  3. Clinical trials: Contain biostatistician effort in the clinical trials finance budget.

  For inquiries, contact Mr. Derek Wilus, dwilus@mmc.edu or Dr. Mohammed Tabatabai, mtabatabai@mmc.edu

• Bioinformatics

  The Meharry RCMI BioMedical Informatics Core provides services and expertise in existing & emerging research technologies for Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Clinical & Health Informatics, Band Multi-Omics data analysis.

  We provide analysis and training for:

  • Genomics:  [DNA-Seq, Genome Assembly & Annotation, GWAS, PheWAS]
  • Transcriptomics:  [RNA-Seq, non-coding RNA-Seq (miRNA, piRNA, sncRNA)]
  • Health & Medical Informatics: [Clinical data and EMR queries, phenotype validation] 
  • Systems Biology:  [Biological Network and Pathway analysis from Multi-Omics & Big Data sets] 

  For inquiries, contact BioMedical Informatics Core Director, Siddharth Pratap PhD, spratap@mmc.edu or Co-Director BioMedical Informatics Core, Jeffrey Leegon MS, jleegon@mmc.edu

• Proteomics and Protein Analysis

  Proteomics analysis is a powerful approach in discovering and understanding an organism’s functions and responses. Typically, it involves: 1) identify endogenous proteins for a given specie, 2) provide relative quantification of these proteins, and 3) characterize post-translational modifications (e.g. phosphorylation, glycosylation, sumoylation, etc.). Proteomics sub-core specializes in bottom-up LC-MS based global proteomics analysis. In addition, we offer targeted small molecule LC-MS analysis and a variety of protein analysis techniques (FPLC, UHPLC, and SPR).

  Services:

  • Shotgun Proteomics analysis with optional PTM analysis
  • MudPIT analysis with optional label-based quantification (SILAC or TMT) and optional PTM analysis
  • Targeted small molecule LC-MS analysis
  • Self-served protein analysis/purification (FPLC, UHPLC, SPR)
  • Data analysis, consultations, and manuscript preparation assistance
  • Student/personnel training in LC-MS and protein analysis techniques

  Equipment:

  • Thermo Orbitrap Exploris 120 Mass Spectrometer in tandem with RSLC 3000 nano-chromatograph and auto-sampler (core-operated)
  • Bio-Rad NGC 100 LC system with fraction collector (user-operated)
  • Agilent 1260 Infinity II analytical UHPLC (user-operated)
  • Nicoya OpenSPR surface plasmon resonance instrument (user-operated)
  • Zeta View exosome particle analyzer (user-operated)
  • ProteinSimple Wes automated Western blot system (user-operated)

  For inquiries, contact Proteomics Core Director, Victor Paromov PhD, vparomov@mmc.edu

• BSL3

  Physically separate from the rest of CRISALIS, our biosafety-level 3 lab is still operationally integrated with CRISALIS workflows. The BSL-3 provides a safe and appropriate environment for the investigation of infectious agents such as HIV. The design of the lab limits exposure to such agents and laboratory personnel have specific training in proper handling procedures.

  There are four biosafety cabinets and six CO2 incubators inside the lab, accommodating up to six researchers simultaneously. The free-standing Beckman Optima L-90K Ultracentrifuge has an SW60Ti and an SW41 rotor for sample processing.

• Flow Cytometry

  Four flow cytometers are available by reservation.

  The CytoFLEX S Flow Cytometer from Beckman Coulter equipped with the advanced new avalanche photodiode (APD) detecting system and Violet Side Scatter (VSSC) option, which provides the CytoFLEX with exceptional detection capabilities, large dynamic range to resolve dim and bright populations in the same sample, and power of nanoparticle detection. It comes with a 96-well plate loader for automated sampling, four lasers (405nm, 488 nm, 561nm, and 638nm), enabling up to 13 parameters simultaneously. The CytoFLEX S is located in a Biosafety Cabin in the BSL3 lab on the fifth floor of the Hubbard Hospital Building. It can be used to analyze samples infected by pathogens (equal or below BSL3 level).

  The Luminex Amnis® CellStream Flow Cytometry System, featuring patented Amnis® Time Delay Integration (TDI) sensory technology, is a unique flow cytometry system that provides unparalleled sensitivity and flexibility. Our CellStream comes standard with a 96-well plate loader for automated sampling, four lasers (405nm, 488 nm, 532nm, and 642nm), enabling up to 17 parameters. The CellStream differs from all other flow cytometers in that the signal is detected by a charge-coupled device (CCD)-camera using TDI sensory technology unique to the Amnis product portfolio. TDI enables high fluorescence sensitivity to provide excellent population resolution and additional morphological parameters not possible with a conventional cytometer. In addition, the high numerical aperture (NA) lens yields exceptional forward and side scatter sensitivity for the detection of small particles. The CellStream System can be used for traditional flow cytometry applications as well as cutting-edge, high parameter data generation and analysis. The CellStream is located in Room 4003 of the West Basic Science Building.

  The FACSAria III from Becton Dickinson includes three solid-state lasers: blue (488nm), red (633nm), and violet (405). The system has the ability to detect five colors from the blue laser, two colors from the red laser, and two colors from the violet laser for a total of nine simultaneous fluorescent colors. The detection optics includes BD’s patented fiber-coupled octagon and trigon technology. The digital acquisition system allows inter-and intra-beam compensation as well as the ability to threshold on any parameter. The automated cell deposition unit (ACDU) can accommodate slides and 6, 24, 48, 96 and 384-well plates.

  The FACSCalibur from Becton Dickinson, a four-color, dual-laser, benchtop flow cytometry system, provides cell analysis. This fully integrated multiparameter system can also perform a range of functions. To meet investigators’ throughput and productivity requirements, the device comes with innovative dual laser technology, powerful software, and an automated sample loader option.

  Time on these machines can be reserved through our online reservation forms: Aria, CytoFlex or Amnis. New reservations can be modified within 30 minutes of creation. Changes after 30 minutes need to be made by CRISALIS staff. Please contact the Flow Cytometry administrator to do so.

  Cell analysis is $60/hr, 15 minute minimum.

  Cell sorting is $90/hr + $45 setup fee.

  Flow Cytometry Reservation Form

• Gene Editing Service

  The Gene Editing Core at Meharry Medical College provides internal and external investigators access to state-of-the-art genome editing technologies by assisting with the generation of genetically knockout or knockin cells in a time- and cost-effective manner. We have years of experience with knockout and knockin genes in cell lines and progenitor cells with high efficiencies. Working with investigators, we assist in designing guide RNAs, preparing reagents, transfection/infection, cloning, screening and off-target evaluation. For a free consultation, contact Dr. Bindong Liu at bliu@mmc.edu

• Imaging, Morphology & Immunohistochemistry

  The Fluorescence Microscopy and Morphology Core provides expertise and state-of-the-art instrumentation for performing fluorescence and bright-field microscopy to investigators at Meharry. The core equipment includes confocal, wide-field, TIRF, and super resolution microscopes. Stage-top incubators for imaging at 370C and 5% CO2 are available for live-cell imaging. The core also has multimode microplate readers and a variety of fluorescent and bright-field imagers with options of whole slide imaging, long term time-lapse experiments, and more. The core has resources and expertise for immunofluorescence staining of cells and fixed tissues. Core staff offers consultation on instrumentation and experimental design, instrument training, and collaboration opportunities.

  
  Equipment:
  • A1R laser and resonance scanning confocal microscope (Nikon)
  • TE2000E wide-field fluorescence microscope (Nikon)
  • Ti2 wide-field fluorescence microscope (Nikon)
  • Super-resolution STORM system (Nikon)
  • TIRF microscope (Nikon)
  • NIS Elements Advanced Research imaging and analysis software (Nikon)
  • Cytation 5 cell imaging multimode reader (BioTek)
  • Neo2 hybrid multimode microplate reader (BioTek)
  • EVOS fluorescence microscope (Thermo Fisher)
  • BZ-X700 fluorescence microscope (Keyence)

  
  Services:
  • Assisted Imaging: Scheduled in advance through iLabs, staff will assist you with your experiment during regular weekday hours.
  • Unassisted Imaging: Users with completed equipment training may book microscope sessions through iLabs. Sessions are available 24/7.

  For inquiries, contact Imaging Core Director, Shawn Goodwin PhD, jgoodwin@mmc.edu or Staff Scientist, Olga Korolkova PhD, okorolkova@mmc.edu

• Pathology

  Human Tissue Acquisition and Pathology services coordinates with Meharry clinics and Nashville General Hospital to offer clinical specimen, histology, and immunohistochemistry support for clinical and translational researchers. Only remnant tissue samples not needed for diagnostic purposes are collected. Normal, neoplastic, and other diseased tissues are available fresh or snap frozen or in a variety of fixatives.

  Histology services:

  • Paraffin embedding and sectioning
  • Automated Hematoxylin and Eosin staining
  • Frozen sectioning
  • Special staining
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Other specialized processing and sectioning services.

  Human and animal pathology diagnostic services and microscopic interpretation of Hematoxylin and Eosin, special stain, and immunohistochemistry are also available, as well as digital photography and descriptions for manuscripts. The existing specimen catalogue and service pricing are available from Michael Izban, mizban@mmc.edu.

• Endocrine

  The Endocrine Core Laboratory performs a comprehensive list of routine and specialized endocrine tests on plasma/serum samples and conditioned media for government funded investigators. An endocrinologist is available for consultation and interpretation of test results.

  Immulite 1000 from Siemens
  Our main instrument for hormone assays, the Immulite 1000 is automated for tests of moderated complexity with an expandable test menu.

  · Uses chemiluminescence reagents

  · Has programmed standard curve set in each kit

  · Reagents/assay kit are specific to each kit lot

  · Kit adjustments needed every two weeks

  Perkin Elmer Gamma Counter (The Wizard)
  Our auxiliary instrument, is the latest and most advanced gamma counter. It can operate as an automatic stand-alone CPM, or it can be used to do extensive data evaluation with its own internal RiaCalc WIZ program or be linked up to an external PC and use the power of a MultiCalc program.

  The Endocrine Core Laboratory provides the following assays for service at the prices shown.

  Test Name	Fee/Sample ($)
  Estradiol	24.00
  Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)	20.00
  Insulin	13.00
  Luteinizing Hormone	20.00
  Progesterone	25.00
  17 a-OH Progesterone	33.00
  Prolactin	34.00
  Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)	28.00
  Total Testosterone	22.00
  Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)	30.00
  Thyroid Hormone (T3/T4)	30.00
  IL-6	30.50
  TNF-α	30.50

  For more information about assays, sample collection, sample shipment, prices and assay schedule, please contact the Endocrine Core Laboratory by phone, 615.327.5902, 615.327.5714 or fax, 615.327.6296.

  Discounted prices for testing can be negotiated for large studies.

• Molecular Biology

  Molecular Biology Core provides convenient access to molecular biological shared equipment, as well as training and technical assistance for use of the instruments. Equipment and resources for molecular biology applications are readily available and reside in the Core Laboratory or in common equipment rooms and corridors in the West Basic Science building. Training in the proper use of equipment is provided by MRRCC staff and also as needed by vendor technical personnel.

  Major Equipment:
  • Synergy Neo2 (BioTek)
  • xMark Microplate Spectrophotometer (Bio-Rad)
  • Synergy HT (BioTek)
  • Odyssey Model 1785 Infrared Imaging System
  • ChemiDoc Gel Imaging Systems (BioRad)
  • CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Systems (BioRad)
  • CFX384 Touch Real-Time PCR System (BioRad)
  • QIAxpert (Qiagen)
  • QiaCube (Qiagen)
  • NGC Quest 10 Chromatography System (BioRad)
  • HPLC Chromatography System (Agilent)
  • NanoDrop One Microvolume UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (Thermo Fisher)
  • NanoDrop 2000c Spectrophotometer (Thermo Fisher)
  • 4150 TapeStation Bioanalyser (Agilent)
  • WES Automated Western Blot (Protein Simple)
  • 405 TS Microplate washer (BioTek)
  • Trans-Blot Turbo Transfer Systems (Bio-Rad)
  • TC20 and TC10 Automated Cell Counters (Bio-Rad)
  • ZetaView Nanoparticle Analyzer (ParticleMetrix)
  • OpenSPR 4 (Nicoya)

  Common facilities and resources:
  • Sorvall Discovery 150 Micro-Ultracentrifuge (Thermo Fisher)
  • Optima XPN-100 Ultracentrifuges (Beckman Coulter)
  • Sorvall Lynx 4000 Superspeed Centrifuge (Thermo Fisher)
  • Biological safety cabinet – class II (LABCONCO)
  • CO2 incubators
  • Savant SPD111V Speedvac Concentrator
  • Avanti J-15, High Speed Benchtop Centrifuge (Beckman Coulter)
  • Various benchtop microcentrifuges for tubes, plates, and tube strips.
  • Analytical scale (Fisher)
  • Milli-Q Advantage Water Purification System (Millipore)
  • Autoclave
  • Fridges and freezers

  Computers:
  There are two analysis computers available for researchers use and to analyze data from the Core equipment. Specialized software available:
  • NIS elements (Nikon)
  • FlowJo
  • Gen5 analysis software with imaging module (BioTek)
  • BZ-X analyzer (Keyence)
  • and more.

  Our equipment and price lists are available in iLabs. Request an account here.

  For inquiries, contact Staff Scientist, Olga Korolkova PhD, okorolkova@mmc.edu, Business Manager, Franklin Nouvet, fnouvet@mmc.edu and Anja Izban, aizban@mmc.edu