Preclinical Imaging Shared Resource at the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center provides small animal imaging services including micro-CT, PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and/or optical imaging along with image acquisition, analysis, and consultation for investigators.

Do you have an animal model that is large/small with a given intervention (diet, gene, drug)?

Do changes in energy intake quantitatively explain body mass phenotype?

Does efficiency of the digestive tract to extract calories contribute to body mass phenotype?

What is the hydration status and fluid reservoir distribution of my animal model?

We at the Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Rodent Metabolic Phenotyping Core (CRMPC) can help answers these questions!

The CRMPC provides guided access to novel technologies for complete dissection of energy flux in rodents and other small animals. Our expert staff assist in development, testing, and standardization of metabolic technologies and workflows to leverage both mouse and rat models of interest to the MCW research community. The centerpiece of the CRMPC is our 16-cage multiplexed metabolic phenotyping system (Promethion, Sable Systems International) that provides detailed mechanistic dissection of resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity, and ingestive behaviors of rodents in home style cage designs across the light cycle. In addition, the CRMPC combines RMR assessments with direct/combined calorimetry (total heat dissipation) to enable assessment of anaerobic forms of energy expenditure (gut microbiome). Additional services include body composition analysis (via NMR), bone content and density analysis (via DEXA), metabolic caging, indirect calorimetry, bioimpedance spectroscopy, thermal imaging. Our core experts provide guidance for experimental design, execution of studies, statistical analysis of resulting data, and regulatory assistance and compliance. Contact core manager John J. Reho (jreho@mcw.edu) to discuss your research needs!

Core provides access to custom production of novel transgenic, gene knockout, and gene knockin rat and mouse models, management of rat model breeding colonies, assisting research staff with procedures involving production and maintenance of transgenic mouse and rat strains. Provides both sperm and embryo cryopreservation/recovery, IVF, ICSI, pronuclear microinjection. Provides consultation involving colony breeding issues.

The CRI Histology Core offers a broad range of high quality histological and immunohistochemical services on a fee-for-service basis to investigators from CW, MCW and off-campus institutions. Our staff includes ASCP certified Histologists and American Board of Pathology certified Pathologists who provide service, assistance, and quality control. Our services include grossing specimens, frozen and fixed tissue sectioning, routine H&E and specialized histochemical staining, cytospin preparations, IHC/IF and antibody optimizations using investigator provided antibodies. We also provide training for immunohistochemical and histochemical techniques.

We are dedicated to providing specialized resources for translational and basic science research studies on the microbiome.

RESOURCES & SERVICES
-Gnotobiotic Core Facility: germ-free mouse colonies; germ-free and gnotobiotic husbandry and study-specific technical support; Park Bio multi-cage isolators and Innovive isocaging
-Microbial Bioinformatics Analysis: 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics. We do not offer sequencing.
-Microbial nucleic acid extractions and training: DNA suitable for standard sequencing protocols using bead-beating protocols; bench space and access to PowerLyzer bead homogenizer; sample collection supplies (per piece vs bulk purchase)
-Consultation: Microbiome study experimental design; microbiome sample collection and processing for sequencing
-Consultation: Cost projections and study budgets; verbiage for funding applications

LEADERSHIP & STAFF
Nita Salzman, MD, PhD | Founding Director
Mary Holtz, PhD | Operations Manager
Samantha Atkinson, PhD | Bioinformatician
Jenny Ziegelbauer | GCF Manager
Amy Pan, PhD | Biostatistician

STEERING COMMITTEE
Nita Salzman, MD, PhD
John Kirby, PhD
Martin Hessner, PhD
Joe Barbieri, PhD
Sandra McLellan, PhD

The Oxford Instruments Center for Advanced Microscopy - Electron Microscopy Core at the Medical College of Wisconsin is an institutionally available research service unit managed on behalf of the Medical College by the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy. OxCAM-EM encompasses both Light and Electron Microscopy services.

Microscopy core managed by Cardiovascular Research Center.

Operates as a teach and train service for confocal, slide scanning and general widefield fluorescence imaging.

Saving lives and improving the wellness of individual citizens and the community by advancing genomic sciences and precision medicine.

Pioneering the fields of Omics, Data Science, and Systems Biology to discover and innovate across our four programs.

The Mellowes Center has its roots in the launch of the Human Genome Project and the 1999 founding of the MCW Human and Molecular Genetics Center. The Mellowes Center uses state-of-the-art whole genome sequencing technologies not only to investigate how gene variants impact gene expression but also to define genetic variants associated with both rare and common disease, embryonic development, and the effects of environmental factors and drugs upon gene expression and disease.

Facilitates multi‐disciplinary collaboration among imaging scientists and clinicians at academic institutions within the Milwaukee region. Manages MCW research imaging facilities and provides access to MCW faculty imaging specialists. Services include performing mixed research and advanced clinical outpatient imaging to support clinical evaluation trials and basic science/technology research.

The Mass Spectrometry Core delivers advanced LC-MS/MS and MALDI imaging mass spectrometry solutions across proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics, glycomics, and spatial omics. We partner with investigators to provide end-to-end expertise in experimental design, optimized sample preparation, high-quality data acquisition, and in-depth analysis, supporting NIH-funded and translational research at both regional and national levels.

The Engineering Core is a specialized team of biomedical engineers dedicated to supporting MCW’s medical research effort by expertly designing, fabricating, repairing, and calibrating research instrumentation tailored to lab-specific needs. By providing these services in-house at a fraction of the cost of commercial vendors, the Core enables cutting-edge research while maximizing budget efficiency.

Core offers confocal imaging systems for specialized imaging of neuronal tissue, including AxL Cleared Tissue Light Sheet Microscope along with appropriate software including Bitplane Imaris 10.0 F1 package and SVI Huygens Professional deconvolution software. The availability of a cleared tissue instrument enables unparalleled visualization of developmental processes, injury recovery, and disease-related pathology.

Imaging core houses microscopic imaging systems including several confocal microscopes, laser microdissection system and whole slide scanners. Core users will be trained and consulted on instrumentation, software, and analysis.

Redox and Bioenergetics core provides instrumentation, cutting-edge techniques, and expertise dedicated to investigating cancer cell metabolism and redox signaling, and to design custom probes for reactive oxygen species (ROS) for MCWCC members.

Core provides VisualSonics Vevo 3100 high-frequency ultrasound imaging unit, small animal imaging station, micro-injection system, anesthesia unit; Linear array transducers (MX250, MX550D, MX700); VevoLab use.

Core provides services including Geospatial Data Technology and Analysis, Epidemiological Information about the Catchment Area, Cancer Outcomes Data and Analysis.