Clinical Research
Units (CRU)
formerly the University Clinical
Research Center (UCRC)
The Clinical
Research Units, CRUs, for the Center for Clinical
and Translational Sciences (CCTS) provide clinical, informatics,
biostatistical, nutritional, laboratory and financial
support services for researchers at UT-Houston and MDACC. There
are two CRUs managed by UT-Houston, one located at Memorial
Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center (CRU-MHH)
and the other at Valley Baptist Hospital in Brownsville,
Texas (CRU-LRGV). The CRU-MHH has 2 inpatient and
6 outpatient rooms, a procedure room, sample processing
and storage areas, and onsite medical records storage. Nursing
support for participants can range from hemodynamic monitoring
to administration of Phase I and conscious sedation agents
to simple phlebotomy. The CRU-LRGV has 3 outpatient
rooms and specimen processing and storage capabilities. Both
units are managed and staffed by Registered Nurses experienced
in clinical research and have dedicated equipment for
assessment of 12-lead electrocardiogram, non-invasive
blood pressure monitoring and centrifugation of specimen. Study
and laboratory coordinators, data managers, biostatisticians
and bionutrionists are also available to researchers. In
addition, financial support for research-related patient
care costs can be provided as well as funding for pilot
and training opportunities. Through the CCTS, researchers
can gain access to experts in research regulations and
ethics, proteomics, genomics, biomarker laboratories,
immune monitoring and imaging.
Fees: For investigator-initiated studies, there are no fees for the majority of CRU services. Patient care costs and study coordination are available on a cost-share basis. Industry-sponsored studies will be charged fees based upon the complexity of the protocol and the type of services required.
Director: Pablo Okhuysen, M.D.
Location: 6 West Robertson Pavilion, Memorial Hermann Hospital
E-mail: joy.c.lilljedahl@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713-500-7900
Fax: 713-704-6417
EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance)
Rapid-freeze quench facility. X-band
EPR capable of measurements at 4 to 298K. 0-90 dB
option.
Equipment: None
Fees: User should pay for the usage of consumables such as EPR tubes, liquid nitrogen and liquid helium.
Director: Ah-Lim Tsai, Ph.D.
Location: MSB 3.320
E-mail: ah-lim.tsai@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713-500-6771
Fax: 713-500-6810
High Throughput Microscopy / High Throughput Compound Screening Core Lab
Automated high content screening
of cell-based assays. Automated high throughput screening
of biochemical/optical-based assays. High Throughput
Screening of chemical compound, siRNAs or aptamer libraries.
Equipment: Beckman IC-100 automated
image cytometer with cytoshop software. Automated Titertek & Multidrop
cell plating and biotek EL x 405 plate washing instrumentation. Beckman
DTX-880 multi-mode reader for multiple biochemical assays. Beckman
FX workstation and NXp robotics for automated liquid
handling operations.
High Throughput Microscopy/High Throughput Compound Screening Core Page
Fees: To be determined.
Director: Gregory Shipley
Location: MSB 5.306
E-mail: gregory.l.shipley@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713-500-7458 / 713-500-5984
Fax: 713-500-7456
Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS)
The purpose of the CCTS, which
is supported by one of the first 12 national NIH Roadmap Clinical
and Translational Science Awards, is to reengineer the
research enterprise to facilitate the design and conduct of
clinical and translational research by the faculty, trainees,
and staff of all 6 schools of the UTHSC– Houston
plus M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Memorial Hermann
Hospital System. The CCTS provides resources and
expertise in study design, biostatistics, regulatory issues,
ethics, bioinformatics, and community engagement; funding
for pilot studies; education programs for pre-doctoral,
postdoctoral, and junior faculty trainees; resources and
protected time for clinical and translational faculty;
core laboratory services for immune marker, MRI, proteomic,
and genomic assays; a clinical research center for
the design and conduct of clinical studies and trials; and
assistance with community and industry collaborations.
Equipment:
Fees: There is no charge for consultations. Other fees (such as costs of core laboratory assays and CRC services) are based on investigators’ levels of funding.
Director : Frank Arnett, M.D.
Location: UTPB LL125
E-mail: frank.c.arnett@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713-704-5115
Fax: 713-704-6417
Biomarker Core Facility of the CCCTS
The Proteomics Core Facility
provides services for peptide sequencing, protein identification,
characterization of protein modifications and measurements
of differential expression of proteins to the entire UT
Health Science Center community. The core provides
a resource for training and assistance in the design of
experimental protocols for biomarker discovery and validation
as part of the CTSA using state of the art proteomic techniques. In
addition to mass spectroscopy based techniques the Core
provides immunologic approaches for the protein quantitation
such as ELISA and BioPlex multiplexing systems.
Equipment: Applied Biosystems QStar Elite
tandem LCMSMS. Agilent 1200 series capillary
chromatograph. Perkin-Elmer MDS Sciex ProToF
MALDI QqTOF
Fees: Inquire
Director: William Dubinsky and Charles Streckfus
Location: Call
E-mail: william.p.dubinsky@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713-500-6311
Fax:
IMM Flow Cytometry Core Lab
The IMM possesses two state
of the art Becton Dickenson flow cytometry instruments. The
Calibur is available for off site users once they are trained
in its operation. Availability of Vantage services
are more restricted as there is no training available.
Equipment: 4 color Becton Dickenson
FACS Calibur, 5 Color Becton Dickenson FACS Vantage SE/DIVA
Fees: Calibur—$75/hour billed in 15 min increments, Vantage– 4 150/hour + non refundable 90 minute set up.
Director: David L. Haviland, Ph.D.
Location: R913 IBT Building
E-mail: david.l.haviland, Ph.D.
Telephone: 713-500-2413
E-mail: david.l.haviland@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713-500-2413
Fax: 713-500-2424
Microarray Core Laboratory
Custom DNA and Protein Microarray
Printing. DNA Hybridization of both HSC Core Lab
and Commercial Arrays. RNA Amplification. RNA
quality assessments.
Equipment: Axon-Genepix 4200A Scanner
and Acuity Analysis Program, DeRisi Printer, Tecan-HS4800
Hybridization Station and MiniPrep 75 Robot Agilent-2100
Bioanalyser/Nanodrop Spectrophotometer.
Fees: Inquire
Director: David Loose, Ph.D.
Location: MSB 5.026
E-mail: david.s.loose@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713-500-7440 / 713-5600-5984
Fax: 713-500-7456
Laboratory for Molecular Imaging
The laboratory strives to understand
the molecular mechanisms of diseases by investigating the
workings of the macromolecular machinery of the cell. In
this effort researchers face many challenges, one of which
is to describe the structure and functional mechanisms
at an atomic level of detail. The atomic structure
of a molecular machine in a particular state of processing
can be inferred by building it from its components, i.e.,
by combing multi-resolution data from electron microscopy
with atomic structures. The hybrid modeling approach
holds much promise, provided that the docking procedure
is reproducible and incorporates the constraints of molecular
interactions and architecture. Dr. Wriggers’ goal
at the Institute is to re-establish a state-of-the-art
electron microscopy facility for collaborations with institute
personnel and to pursue independent research. His
biological interest includes molecular motors, cytoskeletal
filaments and the transcription machinery.
Equipment: LEO 912 OMEGA Energy-Filter
Transmission Electron Microscope. Various Leica Optical
Microscopes for Digital and Visual Imaging (Bright/Darkfield,
Phase Contrast) complement the EM. Additional
lab equipment includes Edwards Vacuum Systems,
such as a ScanCoat Six Sputterer, Auto 306 Vacuum Coater,
and ED3 Plate Degasser. The lab has ample wet
lab space and associated dark room. Digital
imaging capabilities include a Nikon Coolscan 8000
ED Film Scanner and a TVIPS 214 2Kx2K CCD camera.
Laboratory for Molecular Imaging Page
Fees: Per Individual agreement.
Director: Willy Wriggers, Ph.D.
Location: 914 IBT (2121 W. Holcombe), Inst of Molecular Medicine
E-mail: wriggers@biomachina.org
Telephone: 713-500-2429
Fax: 713-500-2424
