Abstract
CF-40 The COBRE Neuroscience Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Core at the University of Vermont was established to serve the neuroscience community by providing the equipment and training to incorporate cell and molecular approaches into their research.The core personnel are the core director, Dr. Sheryl White, and two full time technicians:Thomm Buttolph and Edward Zelazny. The CMB core provides one of the widest ranges of molecular biology services available in academic facilities in the country, including DNA services (construct design, cloning, PCR, site-directed mutagenesis and library construction), RNA services (Quantitative PCR, RNA isolation, RT-PCR, Northerns, RNase protection and differential display analysis), protein services (SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry biomarker profiling, protein extraction, SDS-PAGE, 2D-PAGE, western blotting and gel shift assays), cell culture services (primary/cell line culturing, transfection, reporter assays, immunohistochemistry, frozen/paraffin sectioning and slide staining), as well as specialized microscopy techniques (laser capture microdissection, Neurolucida morphometrics, stereology and cell counting). The CMB core also offers training services to laboratory personnel or principal investigators wishing to learn molecular biology/cell culture technique. The equipment in the facility is available for researchers to use and includes specialized equipment such as an ABI 7500FAST system for quantitative PCR, a SELDI-TOF mass spectrometer for proteomics and biomarker identification, a Zeiss-PALM laser microdissection system for isolation of single cells, and an Odyssey infrared imager system for Western blotting, gel shift assays and in-cell western analysis. New for 2009 the facility has acquired MP Bio's FASTPREP 24 cell and tissue homogenization system, and Qiagen's QIAcube fully automated spin-column based sample processor and a Qiagility liquid handling system. A full list of all the equipment and services available at the COBRE Neuroscience CMB facility can be viewed at http://www.uvm.edu/neuroscience/corecellularmolecular.html. Please visit our web site or stop by the facility in HSRF 427 and see what our core can offer for your research.