Centralized Core Services

Biostatistical support focuses on the following areas of service:

• Step 1 (preliminary study design) – Advice regarding study design, sample size, variable selection and analysis options.
• Step 2 (advanced study design) – Review of draft research protocol with specific emphasis on the analysis section of protocol.
• Step 3 (study implementation) – Advice regarding proper form for electronic collection of data, questionnaire construction or data acquisition.
• Step 4 (study completion) – Analysis and interpretation of results provided for supported studies. Written report including summary tables may be provided.
• Step 5 (publication) – Statistical interpretation section of manuscripts will be reviewed for non-authored manuscripts. Authored articles will have statistical methodology section provided.

• The laboratory is equipped with molecular biology and cytometric analysis instrumentation for cancer biomarker analysis and tumor tissue processing/pathological review.
• The core has the capability for sterile, viable circulating tumor cell capture using advanced high throughput FACS/flow cytometry analysis using a customized aseptic sorting Beckman Coulter MoFlo MDX FACS system.
• Equipment for biomarker molecular analyses includes freezer/refrigerator, MagPix molecular analyte array analyzer, CO2 Incubator, autoclave, Gel Logic 4000 pro DNA/protein imaging system, Zeiss Axio Observer 2A microscope and standard and invert Leitz phase contrast microscopes, Smart2Pure Water System, six-color MoFlo XDP Sterile high-speed flow FACS cytometer contained in a dedicated Class II-A laminar flow for aseptic cell sorting and circulating tumor cell isolation, four-color Accuri flow cytometer, BioRad Real Time PCR thermocycler, Stratagene Real Time PCR System, Cytospin centrifuge, LN2, gaseous and dry ice CO2 and 2 EVAC vacuum aspirators and hot plates, heat blocks, vortexes, sonicator, pH meter, and pipettors.