Seeking to vastly improve its services for investigators, the Tufts CTSI Core Lab facility has moved to a new state-of-the-science space in the 7th floor of the Ziskind building at Tufts Medical Center. Led by Albert K. Tai, PhD, the new, larger location now allows investigators to work on-site with the Lab’s knowledgeable research staff and to access an advanced liquid handling robotic system for assays. The purpose of the move was “to allow for faster processing and for Principal Investigators to work more closely with Core Lab staff,” says Melahat Samali, CTRC Clinical Trial Manager.
The Core Lab’s expansion will provide benefits for all Tufts CTSI researchers, including the ability to process multiple samples more rapidly. Dr. Tai, who has in-depth knowledge about instrumentation, says, “The Core Lab’s optimal efficiency will be at double or triple as a result of the new instrumentation . . . Instead of having Research Assistants run assays, the robotic system takes them over and allows for increased efficiency and fast turnaround.”
The Core Lab’s new Tecan EVO robotic system
Research Assistants Fang Liu, MD, and Jennifer Curcuru, MS, previously conducted DNA quantification assays manually, which could take them up to two days. Now, this can be done in a matter of hours with the robotic system, allowing the Research Assistants to contribute their skills to a larger volume of studies.
Research Assistants Jennifer Curcuru, MS, and Fang Liu, MD
Along with fostering greatly improved efficiency, the robotic system minimizes human error that can occur during manual sample processing. The Core Lab is in the process of allowing the robotic system to conduct Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), which quantify protein biomarkers of interest in samples with specific antibodies. Dr. Liu predicts, “The system would allow us to analyze more than eight plates of sample in one day, which would take up to one week manually.”
In addition, the Core Lab’s experienced staff can develop custom assays for investigators, a service that is largely unique to Tufts. Unlike commercially available assay kits, such as cytokine and chemokine, these assays can be customized for any study design. For example, the Core Lab recently optimized a custom ELISA for the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine that allowed investigators to successfully test for chronic ulcerative stomatitis (CUS), a chronic immunologically mediated condition that produces oral ulcerations which had previously required more expensive and complex diagnostic methods.
With the added space enabling Core Lab staff and PIs to work together on projects, the Core Lab is building strong and sustainable relationships with investigators. “This opens doors for more collaboration and helps us to spread the word about Core Lab services,” says Ms. Curcuru.
The Core Lab’s more organized laboratory workspace, which includes separate rooms intended for genomics and other types of research, also greatly reduces the risk of sample contamination. The expansion will also allow for more space for new instruments, resulting in additional services. In the future, the Core Lab hopes to work with PIs to customize assays, which will foster the development of new therapies.
Finally, the Core Lab’s genomics research lab offers sought-after Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in collaboration with the Tufts University Core Facility (TUCF) and can support a wide range of study designs. “We are working with PIs from all over, from Columbia University to a University in Germany, and our goal is to assist researchers everywhere,” says Ms. Samali. With the improved efficiency of all its services brought upon by its recent expansion, the Core Lab is seeking to initiate new collaborations and is prepared to meet challenging and unusual requests from investigators worldwide.
For more information on how the Core Lab can assist you with your research, please visit here.
