AFBM Biorepository
Analytical Facility for Bioactive Molecules (AFBM) Biorepository
The AFBM Biorepository provides investigators working with human diseases, the unique opportunity to develop a renewable resource from their specific tissues/organs of interest. The Biorepository is a modern facility equipped to process and document human samples intended for cryogenic storage and derivation of primary cell isolates for further development into in vitro and pre-clinical research models. All cell derivatives (strains, lines) of such tissues can be DNA fingerprinted to ensure fidelity over long-term manipulations and distributions at the discretion of the investigator. This facility houses state-of-the-art microscopes and camera systems to validate procedures and cell phenotypes, optimize performance and enable documentation of sophisticated micro-dissections, cell immunophenotyping and endogenous detection of flourescent markers.
The Biorepository personnel can also work with investigators to meet their research goals and develop in vivo models for in depth investigations of particular syndromes and diseases upon request.
Services available:
- Microdissection of tissue samples
- Establishment of primary cell cultures using different conditions of cell dissociation and culture formats including matrices and media with supplements, as required to maintain specific cell types
- Microscopic documentation of tissue and cell morphology
- DNA fingerprinting of primary isolates and all subsequent derivatives to ensure fidelity of the lines generated
- Optimization of cryogenic freezing using Cryomed Controlled Rate LN2 freezer
- Cryogenic storage of tissue samples and cells in LN2
- Assist investigators to develop in vivo models using immune compromised animals as the vehicle to maintain human tissues in functional states and thereby pre-clinical models
- Assist investigators to enable proteomic analysis of their models within the AFBM facility
Location:
11th floor, Elm Wing Room 11109
The Hospital for Sick Children
Contacts:
Study design, R&D and implementation
Dr. Herman Yeger
Herman.yeger@sickkids.ca
Elm Wing, Room 5128C
Tel. 416 813-7654 ext.5958
Technologist
Sudha Arya
Sudha.arya@sickkids.ca
Elm Wing Room 11109
Tel. 416 813-7654 ext. 2602