Core Laboratory Facility
Faculty of Medicine
  Introduction

The Core Laboratory Facility in the Faculty of Medicine aims to provide an environment and a facility for research in many diverse bio-medical fields.  The three major components of the facility are: a Molecular and Cellular  Biology Core Facility which includes Molecular Biology, Protein Chemistry, Biological Imaging, Patch Clamp and Cell Culture facilities, an Extraction and Analytical Chemistry Core Facility also known as the Environmental Core Laboratory, and an Animal Care Facility.

The Molecular and Cellular Biology and Animal Care Facility are managed by the Office of the Assistant Dean for Research, Dr. Ramzi Sabra.  Dr. Fadia Homaidan is Director of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Core Laboratories.  Dr. Michel Nasser is Director of the Animal Care Facility.

The Extraction and Analytical Care Core Laboratories are under the directorship of Dr. Ghazi Zaatari. Chairman, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

All those who wish to use the facilities are to make contact with the different people in charge (see below).  The general guidelines (get it in Word format) for the use of the facility and the cell culture laboratory (in Word format) are available at the Office of the Assistant Dean for Research.  Guidelines for the use of the various facilities are available 

  Objectives

  General

  Molecular Biology

  Biological Imaging

  Patch Clamp

  Protein Chemistry

  Cell Culture

  Extraction and Analytical Chemistry

  Animal Care Facility

  Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
  

 

The objectives of the Core Laboratory Facility are to:

1) make available to all researchers at AUB-MC, expensive and frequently needed multipurpose equipment. Such equipment are set up for immediate use. Initially, some small equipment were also  set up to provide an equal opportunity to all investigators.

2) develop research assistants to use, maintain and most importantly train others to use these equipment.

3) ensure the presence of supplies that can be purchased by investigators without the long  delay required for orders from abroad.

4) diminish markedly the set-up time (down-time) for new recruits, which is extremely important in attracting active researchers with ongoing projects, to come to AUB.

5) provide whatever is necessary for accreditation and for becoming eligible to apply for funding from all sources, local and international.

 

Available Equipment and Laboratory Space

General  

Laboratory: 1442 square feet of newly renovated and excellently equipped laboratories are available. The Core Laboratories employ 2 full time research assistants whose work includes inventory of the laboratory equipment and supplies, train new users in different techniques, and help develop new techniques.

Computers: A Micron Netframe 2101 (NT Server 4.0) is available in the office of the Assistant Dean for Research, room 412, DTS Bldg., for internal networking.   Two PC computers are also available for general use.  Peripherals for the PC computers include graphics boards, math coprocessors, and Data Translations laboratory subsystem. Additional computer peripherals include modems, a Hewlett-Packard HP7475A plotter, a LaserJet printer, network color LaserJet Printer HP 8500N, DeskJet printer HP and a ScanJet HP 6200c.  Available software includes Sigma Stat, Sigma Plot, and Curve Fitter among others.

General Laboratory Equipment: Gamma and beta scintillation counters, ultra, medium and low speed centrifuges; and a walk-in cold room. There are pH meters and balances (both analytical and top loading), table top centrifuges, magnetic stirrers, vortex, shakers, microwave oven, circulator water bath, Eppendorf centrifuges, refrigerators, -20°C and -80°C freezers, a spectrophotometer and recorder and all small items of laboratory equipment.

Contact person: 

Dr. Ramzi Sabra, Ext: 4910/1

  

1.   Molecular Biology Core Facility                       

      Area = 36 m2       Room 424     DTS Bldg.

The facility contains

  1. DNA Sequencer (housed in room 416)

  2. 3 electrophoresis units (Mini Protean II Bio-Rad),

  3. an electroeluter (Bio-Rad, Model 422),

  4. 2 gel sequencing boxes (Sequi-Gen, Bio-Rad),

  5. one horizontal gel box,

  6. one trans Blot, one mini trans blot,

  7. one gene pulser ( Bio-Rad),

  8. one hybridization oven (HB 400, Hoeffer),

  9. one UV cross linker (X-100, Spectronics Corp.),

  10. 4 vacuum regulators (Bio-Rad),

  11. vacuum blotter (Bio-Rad),

  12. UV light box (Spectroline, TVR-312),

  13. 4 Power supply units (EC-6000),

  14. 3 power supply units (IEC),

  15. dry bath (fisher),

  16. PCR in situ

  17. Gene Amp in situ, Bio-Rad,

  18. 2 Hybaid PCR machines,

  19. gel dryer (Bio-Rad)

  20. a pulsed electrophoresis gel apparatus (Bio-Rad). 

The main methods performed at present are extraction of DNA and RNA, PCR, and Northern and Southern Blots.  

 The facility is supported by:

a) Autoradiography Room (Room 438): A separate room is available for developing autoradiographs using the Kodak X-OMAT developing system.  It doubles as a dark room also.

b)  A Radioactivity Working Station (Room 440): on the fourth floor of the DTS Building.

Two rooms are available for working with radioactive isotopes.  One is for iodination and for work with high-energy isotopes (such as 127I and 22Na) and the other for working with low energy isotopes.  The office of Radiation Safety has a separate receiving area for isotopes, which has its own entrance from the outside.

Contact person: 

Ms. Hala Dakhil, Ext: 4878

Dr. George Nemer, Ext: 4877

 

2.   Biological Imaging Core Facility            

      Area = 24 m2      Room 351     DTS Bldg.

The biological imaging facility is comprehensive and allows for the quantitative and qualitative assessment of many important biological processes in live as well as fixed cells and tissues. There is a host of ion sensitive dyes that are utilized in the measurement of intracellular ions, their movement and involvement in the control of cellular phenomena. The scope of the facility extends in other areas of cell research. The Confocal microscope is a powerful instrument with the ability to optically section through cells and tissues for the localization of structural and functional elements. The video based system can be dynamic on the order of 400-600 events/sec. Actually, these two instruments are modular and can be adapted to perform other and more complicated and sophisticated functions and analyses. They are:   

a) Fluorescent microscope system. A video-based imaging photometry system with multi wavelength excitation capability (PTI Image master and Oscar) with an intensified CCD camera for the detection of low signals as well as the ability to measure in real time dynamic processes. 

b) Confocal microscopy set-up. The system consists of a computer controlled laser scanning confocal microscope (Zeiss LSM 410) with 2 lasers (Ar/Kr and HeNe) and a compliment of high NA DIC and fluorescent lenses.

Contact person: 

Dr. Marwan El-Sabban, Ext: 4765

 

3.   Patch Clamp Core Facility            

      Area = 54 m2      Room 237     DTS Bldg. 

The set-up includes

  1. a Zeiss inverted microscope with DIC optics,

  2. power supply,

  3. Narishige micromanipulator,

  4. an HP plotter,

  5. Tektronix oscilloscope,

  6. LM-EPC 7 patch clamp amplifier,

  7. Medical Systems stimulator and pulse generator,

  8. an isolation table,

  9. video cassette recorder, Medical System PCM-2 A/D VCR adapter,

  10. an Axon Instruments Axess P-Clamp 6.0 data acquisition and analysis system,

  11. dissecting microscope

  12. a Narishige microforge for pipette fire polishing and sylgarding.

The patch clamp facility allows the study of ion channels and as importantly gene product insertion into membranes (as in Xenopus oocyte injections).

Contact person: 

Dr. Fadia Homaidan, Ext: 4892 / 4800 

 

4.   Protein Chemistry and Immunology Core Facility           

      Area = 42 m2    Room 419     DTS Bldg.

           This facility is equipped with all equipment for chromatographic separation, purification, and analysis of proteins, including Western and immunoblotting. It will target to establish a most important tool in modern gene product (protein) study: the capability of N-terminal sequencing and Matrix Assisted Lazer Disorption/Ionization-Mass Spectroscopy (MALDI-MS), for protein analysis. There is a Competitive binding plate reader installed & in function for antibody generation and other binding studies.  The Animal House is being upgraded to provide the necessary facility required for polyclonal and monoclonal antibody generation.

The facility is equipped with

  1. 3 mini Protean PAGE,

  2. 3 electroeluters (#422),

  3. 2 two-dimensional electrophoresis,

  4. 3 trans-blot,

  5. 4 Immunoblot,

  6. 3 Bio-dot,

  7. a Protean xi for large PAGE,

  8. a trans-blot for large PAGE,

  9. gel dryer,

  10. vaccum blotter 785,

  11. vaccum pump and vacuum regulator (all from Bio-Rad),

  12. a Hoeffer PAGE (SE-600),

  13. mini agarose gel unit (HE33),

  14. agarose gel unit (HE 99X) and transfer membrane (TE 62) from Hoeffer;

  15. Eppendorf 5415 microfuge,

  16. a refrigerated Eppendorf microfuge,

  17. an ELISA reader (ELX808, Bio-Tek),

  18. lyophilizer (Labconco),

  19. centrivap,

  20. 4 power supply units (Bio-Rad),

  21. a sonicator. 

  22. A fast-pressure liquid chromatography (FPLC) set-up was recently installed (July 2003) and is       housed in Room 416A.

 

Contact person: 

Ms. Koharig Bajakian, Ext: 4875 

Dr. Julnar Usta, Ext: 4885

 

5.   Cell Culture Core Facility        

     Area = 70 m2       Room 309     DTS Bldg.

This facility contains 6 CO2 incubators and 3 hoods. Incubators and hoods for primary cultures and infected cells are separated from those for cell lines. The facility also contains 2 microscopes, 3 centrifuges, a media refrigerator,  a cell freezer, and presently houses a luminometer.  A separate CO2 and hood on a different floor are used for primary or infected cultures. The facility is planned to meet all the present requirements for cell culture.  A P3 facility is planned for the near future (1-2 years).

Contact person: 

Dr. Ali Bazarbachi, 5344, Beeper 508

Dr. Fadia Homaidan, Ext: 4892 / 4800

 

6.   Extraction And Analytical Chemistry Core Facility    

      Area = 96 m2     Rooms 325, 327, 332, 340       DTS Bldg.

      (USAID Core Environmental Laboratory)  

            These laboratories are furnished with all needed equipment for extraction, identification,  and analysis of a vast array of chemicals (organic and inorganic). Their applications extend from capabilities to identify contaminants in water, soil, and air into areas in laboratory medicine, clinical pharmacology, & toxicology (drug bioavailability, tablet content, dissolution, and stability), assessing & monitoring the environment as well as food component contaminant and additive analysis. 

This facility has been built and equipped according to Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.  It has

  1. an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) capable of analyzing aqueous samples for all elements in the periodic table with one sip. 

  2. a High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC),

  3. One GC with Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS). 

  4. One GC with Mass Spectrometer and Purge and Trap Concentrator (GC/MS P&T). 

  5. One GC with an Electron Capture Detector (GC/ECD). 

  6. One GC with Nitrogen Phosphorous Detector and a Flame Ionization Detector (GC/NPD-FID)

  7. an Elemental Analyzer for Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Oxygen (C,H,N,S,O), transformable anytime into a Nitrogen/Protein analyzer. 

In addition, there are two rooms for extraction procedures.  They are equipped with the necessary equipment and supplies in addition to a Microwave Digestion oven, Ultrasonic probe, and Electronic balances.

Contact person: 

Ms. Carol Sukhn, Ext: 4858 / 59 / 60

Dr. Zuheir Habbal Ext: 4858/59/60  Beeper: 560

 

7.    Animal Care  Facility           

      Area = 1120 m2      Sub-basement    DTS Bldg.

The Animal Care Facility is being renovated to include adequate space for transgenic and immunodeficient animals.  Operating room suites for research, training and veterinarian clinical service are already constructed and equipped.

            The Animal Care facility necessary to support all service and research has been remodelled by a grant from American Schools and Hospitals Abroad  (ASHA). The work was closely coordinated with John G. Miller and Kathryn A. Bayne of The Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) for accreditation. The facility will have a sizeable transgenic and immunodeficient animal facility. It already has two operating rooms, and one virtual operating room fully equipped for training of surgeons without use of animals.  These rooms may be used for research and for veterinarian clinical service.  Adequate bedding, storage space, and food is available.  The Animal House will have a separate entrance from the street level.

Contact person: 

Dr. Michel Nasser, Ext: 4818 / 4800

 

8.   Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Core Facility

      Area = 156 m2                            Rooms 311 and 313 DTS Building

           The Computational Science and Bioinformatics Lab, the first of its kind in the region, provides cutting-edge, state-of-the-art supercomputing facility in the areas of computational science and bioinformatics. Informatics is the science of information acquisition, storage, analysis and presentation. Considered as one of the fundamental disciplines in the 21st century, informatics is required by diverse fields of endeavor ranging from engineering to medicine. Bioinformatics studies two important information flows in modern biology. The first is the flow of genetic information from the DNA of an individual organism up to the characteristics of a population of such organisms. The second is the flow of the experimental information from observed biological phenomena to models that explain them, and then to new experiments in order to validate theses models.

              The facility presently houses 21 computer stations. For a full description of the available software and its applications, please refer to the Commodity List for this laboratory.  For more information and access to the various software available please go the laboratory's website.

Contact Person:

Mr. Hassan Al-Ali,  ext. 4862

Dr. Kinda Khalaf,  ext. 3427, 4919