The goal of the Cancer Tissue Pathology Core is to provide high-quality tissue processing, histology and staining services to SCC members and other investigators. The Core provides tissue processing, embedding, sectioning, histochemical staining of mounted slides, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for paraffin embedded and frozen tissues, immunocytochemical (ICC) staining for cultured cells (as tissue sections or cytospin slides), evaluation of new antibodies for IHC staining, enzyme histochemistry and special staining. The Core also provides defined analyses including RNA / DNA preparation, reverse transcription and cDNA synthesis from total RNA, construction, staining and analysis of tissue microarrays, and construction and analysis of reverse proteomics array from user-defined biospecimens. The Core is flexible to accommodate the development of new techniques and expanding its services based on the research requirements of SCC members and other investigators.

Mission statement. The INBRE Data Science Core will provide state-of-the-art research data science analysis support for the Oklahoma scientific community, foster educational efforts to train Oklahoma scientists in the use of data science tools for research purposes, and promote data science education for undergraduate and high school students in the state of Oklahoma.

Summary. In pursuit of this mission, the INBRE Bioinformatics Core Facility provides support to biomedical research and educational institutions in the state of Oklahoma, other regional IDeA-participating states, and elsewhere. To date, research support has focused primarily in two areas. 1) Global analysis of gene expression data using custom spotted microarrays and commercial Affymetrix and Combimatrix arrays to examine gene expression patterns in mice, adenovirus-infected cells, and a variety of bacterial systems. Current work is transitioning to transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq methodology. 2) Genome annotation and comparative genomics analysis, including studies on several bacterial and viral pathogens important for human and agricultural disease. These studies have included informatics support for genome sequencing projects, annotation support, and post-sequence studies such as phylogenetic inference and recombination analyses. Other projects during the current funding period have focused on using bioinformatics-based strategies for developing hypotheses that are amenable to experimental testing. Bioinformatics educational support has developed a variety of resources used by INBRE network PUIs and CCs in Oklahoma, providing lecture and laboratory materials. Examples of these educational experiences include analysis of laboratory data for DNA barcoding, instructional materials for protein structure analyses and phylogenetic analyses, and microbial and viral genome sequence annotation and analysis. We have provided career counseling to undergraduate students, both individually and in large groups. We have supervised both undergraduate summer interns and high school interns to enhance interest in pursuing bioinformatics as a career path. Additionally, we have provided instructional materials for high school teachers interested in incorporating bioinformatics into their lesson plans.

The OUHSC Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Cytometry Research (LMBCR) is an academic core facility offering a wide range of services involving DNA, protein, and whole cell analysis. Services include sequencing (custom PCR, plasmid and DNA, RNA, 16s, miRNA, ChIP ) and microsatellite detection via the Illumina MiSeq or SeqStudio capillary sequencer. Expression analysis can also be performed using the Nanostring nCounter SPRINT platform. Our services also include Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics using the Waters Synapt with 2D UPLC. We provide both qualitative and quantitative analysis of protein samples (cell lysate, IP, in solution) as well as simple protein identification from solution or gel slice. The Flow and Imaging division offers BSL2 cell sorting, flow cytometry, Luminex, and confocal imaging. All services are offered to OUHSC researchers, other external academic entities and industry.