houston methodist cores at a glance

H o u s t o n M e t h o d i s t R e s e a r c h I n s t i t u t eCoRes at a Glance

At the houston Methodist ReseARch

institute, fosteRing innovAtions with

the potentiAl foR clinicAl ApplicAtion

is At the veRy heARt of whAt we do.

integRAted into one of the nAtion’s

finest hospitAls, the ReseARch institute is

coMMitted to stReAMlining the pRocess

of tRAnslAting lAboRAtoRy ReseARch into

tReAtMents And cuRes foR ouR pAtients.

Translating laboratory discoveries into novel treatments for

patients requires specialized research and development

infrastructure, along with regulatory knowledge, technical

expertise, and specialized facilities. Houston Methodist

supports translational research with on-site capabilities

for Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved current

good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and good laboratory

practice (GLP) studies, and early phase (I and II) clinical

trials. Our commitment to the full translational cycle from

discovery to cure is how we deliver on our mission of

leading medicine.

To support the unique technological needs inherent to conducting translational research, the

Houston Methodist Research Institute has built over 20 core facilities that provide our investigators and

external researchers access to exceptional scientific technology. Whether an investigator is in the initial

phase of discovery or is developing, testing, or validating a new drug or device, the Research Institute

has a core facility ready to assist in every step with technical expertise and state-of-the-art equipment.

ReseaRCH coresH o u s t o n M e t h o d i s t R e s e a r c h I n s t i t u t e

Translational Research Cores & ServicesTranslational research cores facilitate moving preclinical discoveries into the clinical phase of development. At the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education or MITIESM, researchers are accelerating the discovery and delivery of better care by fostering new medical technologies and techniques using advanced imaging systems, minimal access technologies, and robotics. Translational research cores also include the FDA compliant cGLP facilities to perform safety and risk assessments in preclinical models, and cGMP facilities designed to produce clinical grade radiopharmaceuticals, nanoparticles or biologicals for preclinical and clinical studies.

Research Cores & ServicesThe research cores & services provide platform technologies comprising of instruments and techniques, and services that are foundational to basic laboratory research.

Clinical Research Services & Support The clinical research cores offer clinical research infrastructure to support investigators in the design, initiation, management, and reporting of clinical trials.

Central Support Services The central support service cores provide scientific and technical expertise related to a broad range of areas such as bioinformatics, library services, scientific writing and editing, and grant application services through the Office of Strategic Research Initiatives.

Research Cores & Services

Translational Research Cores & Services

Clinical Research Services & Support

Central Support Services

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translational Research cores & services

cGMP Manufacturing Core .............................................................................4

Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceutical Core ...................................................6

Translational Imaging Core ...............................................................................8

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Facility

Preclinical Imaging Facility

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Facility

Houston Methodist Institute for Technology,

Innovation & Education (MITIESM) ................................................................ 10

Machine Shop Core ........................................................................................ 14

Comparative Medicine ................................................................................... 15

Preclinical Catheterization Laboratory Core ............................................. 16

Biorepository Core .......................................................................................... 18

Research Pathology Core ............................................................................. 19

Research cores & services

Cellular and Molecular Services

Biomicrofluidics Core ........................................................................ 20

Flow Cytometry Core ........................................................................ 22

Molecular Diagnostics Core ............................................................ 23

Nanoengineering Core ...................................................................... 24

Peptidomics Nanoengineering Core.............................................. 25

RNAcore ............................................................................................... 26

Microscopy Services

Advanced Cellular and Tissue Microscopy Core ....................... 28

Electron Microscopy Core ............................................................... 29

clinical Research services & support

Clinical Research Services ........................................................................... 30

Academic Office of Clinical Trials

Clinical Research Support ............................................................................ 32

Cockrell Centers for Advanced Therapeutics

central support services

Biomedical Informatics Services .................................................................. 34

Center Grant Proposals Support ................................................................ 35

Scientific Writing & Editing Support ........................................................... 35

Library Services ............................................................................................... 36

ReseaRCH cores

Research Cores & Services

Translational Research Cores & Services

cGMP ManufaCtuRInG core


The current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) Manufacturing Core is an

FDA-approved facility that provides a controlled cleanroom and aseptic processing

environment for manufacturing molecular, nanotech, and cellular therapies.

Houston Methodist has two

cGMP cores on-site offering

investigators unparalleled

opportunities for generating

novel, clinical grade

therapeutics.

special features

•Exposedsurfacesandfloorsdesignedforrigorouscleaningandhighsanitationstandards that ensure product purity and patient safety

• HEPAfilterandairhandlingunitstoprovideparticulate-freeairatapositiveairpressure

• Continuousmonitoringofcriticalparametersliketemperature,pressure,andhumidity

• Highcapacity,ultra-purewatersystemwithenvironmentalmonitoringsystemtoassure microbiological control

• In-housewastetreatmentsystemtoneutralizewetbenchwastestreams

• Manufacturingequipmentandutilitiesvalidatedtomeetbiopharmaceuticalstandards(IQ/OQ/PQ)

• Controlledaccessfacilitywithdesignatedgowningareas,preparatorylabs,shippingand receiving stations, storage areas, and clean rooms

• Robustsampleidentification,traceabilitysystems,andelectronicdocumentcontrolsystems arepartofthecentralizedqualityinfrastructure

houstonmethodist.org/cgmpmanufacturing

Core Director: Glenn Winnier, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.2049

Cores At A Glance | 5

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•Wetbench

•RIE-1700plasmaetcher

•Waferspinrinsedryers

•Biologicalsafetycabinets(class1,000)

•CO2 incubators

•Tissueculturehoods

•Roomtemperatureandcoldstorage (4 °C, -20 °C, and -80 °C)

•Centrifugesandmicroscopes

•Stainlesssteelworksurfaces

equipment

CyCLotRon and RadIoPHaRMaCeutICaL core


The Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceutical Core is a cGMP-compliant facility that produces

clinical grade and rare custom radiopharmaceuticals for research and medical purposes.

The applications for these tracers include Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging

ofprostate,renal,andbraintumors,diagnosisofAlzheimer’sdiseaseandotherdementias,

locatingepilepsyseizurefocipriortosurgery,detectingcoronaryarterydisease,and

measuring the in vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profiles of experimental drugs.

The on-site facility enables production

of multiple doses of PET tracers for a

patient in a single day. The half-lives

of these tracers range from 2 to110

minutes.

services

houstonmethodist.org/cyclotron

Core Director: Meixiang (Max) Yu, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.2921

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•[13N] Ammonia (Cardiac perfusion)

•[11C] Acetate (Cardiac oxygen metabolism)

•[18F]F-AV-1451(Alzheimer’sTauimaging)

•[18F]FHBG(Genetherapyimaging)

•[18F]Fluoro-L-DOPA(Braintumorimaging, over 96% sensitivity)

•[11C] Choline (Prostate cancer imaging)

•[11C]PIB(Beta-amyloidplaqueimagingfor Alzheimer’sdisease)

•[11C] Raclopride (Dopamine D2 receptor-imaging for motor and cognitive function)

•[11C]PBR28(Neuroinflammationimaging)

•[18F]GE180(Neuroinflammationimaging)

•[18F] Fluorothymidine (Cancer proliferation imaging)

•GEPETrace16.5MeVnegativeion isochronous cyclotron

•Nineventilatedhotcells

•Asepticpreparationlaminarairflowhood

•Sevenautomatedandcustomizedsynthesis modules, including a solid target system for 64Cu

•TwoClass100telemanipulatordispensing hot cells

•Nuclearpharmacyforradiopharmaceuticalspreparation and dispensing

•GMPproductionofvarious18F, 15O, 13N, 11C, and 64Cu compounds

•Integratedrapidtransportdeliverysystemto research imaging suite for short half-life isotopes

•Consultationforresearchstudiesinvolving radioisotopes

Available pet Radiopharmaceuticals Thefacilityproduces[18F] Fludeoxyglucose on a daily basis and other compounds given below on request:

equipment

tRansLatIonaL IMaGInG core

MRi facility •Housesastate-of-the-art70cmwide-bore3.0Teslawhole-bodyhumanMRIscanner

•Offerssupportforimagingresearchstudies(includingfunctionalMRI)byateamof

imagingexpertsutilizingadvancedMRIpulsesequencesandimageanalysissoftware

•Providesdedicatedareasforhumanandpreclinicalresearchwithseparateaccesstothe

scanner room

pet imaging facility •IncludesadedicatednuclearandPETimagingclinic,acyclotronfacility,anda

cGMP-compliant laboratory for the production of clinical grade radiopharmaceuticals

•Operateslatestgenerationscannersforadvancedscintigraphicimagingofshort-

and long-lived radioisotopes

•ProvidesfullsupportforInvestigationalNewDrug(IND)filing,imagingprotocol

development,andoptimizationforclinicaltrials


The Translational Imaging Core provides access to advanced high-performance Magnetic

Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for use with preclinical

and clinical research studies.

preclinical imaging facility •Enablesimagingofpreclinicalstudymodels

•Imagingmodalitiesavailable:PET,SPECT,CT,MRI/MRS,ultrasound,andopticalimaging

•End-usertraining(dependingontheapplication)

•Assistancewithexperimentaldesign,imageacquisition,andimageanalysis

•Troubleshootingandoptimizationofexperiments

•Ongoingconsultationandsupport

Key equipment

• 70cmwide-bore,3.0Tesla,whole-bodyhumanMRIscanner

• InveondedicatedPETsystem

• InveonmultimodalitySPECT/CTsystem

• CaliperIVIS-200system

• Maestroin vivofluorescenceimagingsystem

MRI Director: Christof Karmonik, PhDEmail: [email protected]/mri-corePhone: 713.441.7979

MRI Medical Director: Steve H. Fung, MDEmail: [email protected]

PET Director: Daniel Y. Lee, MD, PhDEmail: [email protected]/pet_facilitiesPhone: 713.441.0806

Preclinical Imaging Director: Zheng-Zheng Shi, MD, PhDEmail: [email protected] houstonmethodist.org/preclinicalimagingPhone: 713.441.9601


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Houston MetHodIst InstItute foR teCHnoLoGy, InnoVatIon & eduCatIon

The pace of technological change in medicine is unprecedented -- making it a challenge

for surgeons and proceduralists to stay abreast of the latest innovations in their fields.

Medical care and research has also become a team effort, requiring interdisciplinary

skills, rehearsal of complex interventions, and coordinated communication among multiple

teammembers.In2007,HoustonMethodistaddressedthesechallengesbybuildinga

world-leading institute for medical education and research called the Houston Methodist

Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education or MITIESM.

One of the largest and most comprehensive education and research

facilities in the world, MITIE is defining a revolutionary platform for

the ongoing training of physicians and health care providers.10|HoustonMethodistResearchInstitute

About Mitie MITIE is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art education and research institute at

Houston Methodist. It was developed to foster novel training programs in procedure-

based medicine and as a platform for research and development. In addition to a

sophisticated physical space, MITIE provides a world-class team of curriculum design

experts, event managers, and laboratory specialists to assist in the development and

implementation of any training or research program.

CoresAtAGlance|15

MITIE encompasses more than 40,000 square feet of education and research space and serves thousands of health care providers each year from all around the world.

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Four core components oF MItIesM

12|HoustonMethodistResearchInstitute

procedural skills lab for hands-on procedural training

•Fifteenoperatingroomsandendoscopysuites

•State-of-the-artmodelsforteachingproceduresinanyspecialty

•Fullcomplementofsurgicaltoolsequivalenttoclinicaloperatingrooms

Medical presence suite •Seats24;customizableviewingexperience

•PanoramicvideowallwithHDstreaming

•Real-timetwo-waycommunicationwithanyoperatingroomorprocedurearea

virtual hospital for team training in simulated patient care environments

•Simulationtechnologytorecreateanypatientcareenvironment

•Sophisticatedfull-bodyhumanpatientsimulatorsthatbreathe,blink,talk,andrespondtomedications

•Audiovisualrecordingcapabilitiesthatfacilitateteam-baseddebriefings

•Sixdebriefconferencerooms

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for an immersive viewing environment in the operating room or procedure suite

mitietexas.com

Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIESM)Medical Director: Brian J. Dunkin, MD, FACSEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.7912

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experimental operating Rooms for research and development

•Twofullyequippedoperatingroomsmodifiableforanyspecialtyset-up

•Computertomography(CT)equippedoperatingroom

•MRIequippedoperatingroom

•Roboticallyguidedfluoroscopicimagingoperatingroom(HybridSuite)

4

Operations Manager: Angela MitchellEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.3998

Siemens MAGNETOM Aera 1.5 Tesla Wide Bore MRI

•For intraoperative MRI (iMRI)

Siemens Artis Zeego

Providesroboticallyguidedfluoroscopyfor:

•Traditional2DX-rayimages

•Advancedfluoroscopic(“liveX-ray”)images/video, including360-degreeX-rayview

•DynaCTforCT-likescans

•3Danatomicalreconstructions

Hansen Medical Magellan Robotic System

•Roboticallyguidedendovascularcathetersystem

Intuitive da Vinci Si HD Surgical Systems

•Forroboticallyguidedminimallyinvasivesurgery

•Equippedwithvirtualrealitysimulators(“backpacks”)forskillsrehearsal

Volcano Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) System

•Catheter-basedsystemthatallowsforacquisitionofultrasoundimages from within the vessel itself

Key equipment within the operating suites

procedural skills lab for hands-on procedural training

•Fifteenoperatingroomsandendoscopysuites

•State-of-the-artmodelsforteachingproceduresinanyspecialty

•Fullcomplementofsurgicaltoolsequivalenttoclinicaloperatingrooms

Medical presence suite •Seats24;customizableviewingexperience

•PanoramicvideowallwithHDstreaming

•Real-timetwo-waycommunicationwithanyoperatingroomorprocedurearea

virtual hospital for team training in simulated patient care environments

•Simulationtechnologytorecreateanypatientcareenvironment

•Sophisticatedfull-bodyhumanpatientsimulatorsthatbreathe,blink,talk,andrespondtomedications

•Audiovisualrecordingcapabilitiesthatfacilitateteam-baseddebriefings

•Sixdebriefconferencerooms

The Machine Shop develops prototypes of medical devices and other instruments

by providing concept creation, product design, and precision machining services.

A broad range of materials are available for device fabrication, including polymer,

carbon-steel, stainless steel, brass, copper, titanium, polycarbonate, peek, and delrin.

PrototypedevicesdevelopedintheMachineShopincludetheDeBakeyrotaryblood

pump, preclinical model holder, Nedo pump, and infant tongue depressor.

MaCHIne sHoP core

services •Designconsultation

•Developingprototypesformedicaldevices

•Fabricatingcustomlaboratoryequipment

•Implementingimprovementstodevicedesigns

•Devicerepair

equipment •13”Colchesterlathe •PrecisionHardingetoolroomlathe

•Kneemills •CNCBenchmanmill

•Verticalandhorizontalsaws •Shearandbrakemetalfabricator

•Tablesaw •Silversolderingcapabilities

houstonmethodist.org/machineshop

Core Director: Juan A. FernandezEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.6399


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The Houston Methodist Comparative Medicine program conducts studies in both

large and small preclinical models. The program has:

•65,000squarefeetofdedicatedstate-of-the-artfacilities

•Housingspaceforavarietyofpreclinicalmodels,individualventilatedcaging forrodents,andflexiblehousingconfigurationsforlargerpreclinicalmodels

•Rodentspacemanagedasastrictbarrier,specializedspaceforimaging andanABSL2isolationsuite

•TwofullyequippedoperatingroomsandanABSL3suiteforinfectiousagents

The program also offers good laboratory practices or GLP services for conducting risk,

safety, and efficacy assessment studies in compliance with current FDA guidelines.

Veterinary pathologist services and expertise for interpretation of preclinical study

data is also available.

CoMPaRatIVe MedICIne

houstonmethodist.org/comparativemedicine

Core Director: Tanya Burkholder, DVM, DACLAMEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.8685

Veterinary Pathologist: Judit Markovits, DVM, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.8404

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glp services

•WritingIACUCprotocols

•ConsultationforGLPprotocols

•Assistancefordevice-related procedures

veterinary pathology services

•Consultationonstudydesignand tissue collection for studies with pathology end points

•Reportingpathologyfindings

• Performing preclinical model procedures including injections, blood draws, catheter placements, clinical observations, equipment calibrations, monitoring, and necropsy

•Routineprocessingandslidegeneration

•Stainingwithroutineandspecialstains, including immunohistochemistry

•Necropsy

houstonmethodist.org/machineshop

PReCLInICaL CatHeteRIzatIon LaboRatoRy core


ThePreclinicalCatheterizationLaboratoryCoreoffersinvestigatorsandindustrywitha

state-of-the-art environment to train physicians, nurses, and technologists in the use of

medical devices in preclinical or inanimate models. The core is supported by the Houston

MethodistResearchInstitute’sComparativeMedicineProgram.ThecoreoffersaSeimens

AxiomArtisfluoroscopicC-armforusewithpreclinicalstudiesandphysiciantrainingfor

approved and preapproved devices.

The core personnel perform many

cardiovascular surgical procedures such

as vessel access and cath lab surgical

procedures, and have extensive

experience operating simulators

for cardiovascular surgery.

ThefluoroscopicC-armiscapableofproducingimagesknownasDyna-CT®. Transferring

these images to the Seimens Syngo®workstationallowsfortheproductionof3Dimages.

The core also has a conference room for didactic training sessions, and a large control

room for viewing procedures out of the field of radiation.

houstonmethodist.org/pccl

Core Director: Daryl SchulzEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.3318

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services

•Cardiacandperipheralinterventions •Electrophysiologystudies

•Radiofrequencyandlaserablations •Endovascularinterventions

•Roboticcatheterstudies •Pacemakerimplants

training

•Hansenroboticcatheter •Transseptalpuncture

•Cardiacandperipheralintervention •Chronictotalocclusionintervention

•Carotidstentimplantationwithdistal •Epicardialpuncture filter protection

TheBiorepositoryCoreisalarge,general-purposesamplebankofsolidtissuesamples,

blood,serum,plasmaand,otherbodyfluidsforusebyHoustonMethodistresearchersand

their collaborators. All sample collection activities are conducted in a manner that ensures

patient confidentiality, accurate pathologic annotation, and high ethical standards before,

during, and after sample collection.

bIoRePosItoRy core

houstonmethodist.org/biorepository


services

•Collection,processingandstorageina timely, quality driven manner of fresh, snap-frozen,solidtissuesfromsurgicalpathology specimens, and blood and otherbodyfluidsfrompatients

•Provisionofrelevantcontrolsincludingnormal solid tissues from same or other patients,and/orbloodfromhealthy patients/volunteers

•Paraffinembedding,Immunohistochemical and H&E staining, and pathology review services provided in conjunction with Research Pathology service

•Protocol-specificcollection,processing, and storage for biospecimens

•Maintenanceofaclinicaldatabasewithbasic clinical data elements for all samples in the repository

•Round-the-clockmonitoringoffreezerswith adequate backup and disaster recovery protocols in place

•Currentglobalbio-bankingstandardsfollowed to ensure research relevance of stored specimens

Core Director: Rajeev Singh, MD, MBAEmail: [email protected]

Core Manager: Pam McShaneEmail: [email protected]

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The Research Pathology Core assists with routine histology techniques such as

embedding tissue, sectioning tissue blocks, and staining sections. Custom tissue blocks

can be prepared by the core staff, including multi-tissue arrays. Immunohistochemistry

servicesofferedincludeantibodycharacterizationandoptimization,andimmunohistochemical

andimmunofluorescencestaining.Thecorehandlesbothpreclinicaltissuesamplesand

patient samples with required approvals.

ReseaRCH PatHoLoGy core

houstonmethodist.org/researchpathology

Core Director: Andreana Rivera, MDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.2662

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services

•Specimenprocessingandembedding

•Microtomy

•Designandcreationoftissuemicroarrays

•Cryostattrainingandtechnicalsupport

•Tissuestaining(H&E,Gram,GMS,Iron, VonKossa)

•Immunohistochemistry(antibodies provided by core or investigator)

•Titration/optimizationofantibodies

•Immunofluorescence(antibodiesprovided by investigator)

•Consultationwithapathologistuponrequest

•Providesuppliese.g.cassettes,formalin, slides, molds, and slide boxes

•Rushserviceavailableforanadditionalfee

houstonmethodist.org/biorepository

TheBiomicrofluidicsCorecreatescustomdesignedmicrofluidicmoldsandchips,

fabricatespre-madebiomicrofluidicchips,andprovidesconsultationservicesinthe

biomicrofluidicsfield.

bIoMICRofLuIdICs core

services • Consultationforbuildingyourownbiomicrofluidicchips • Fabricationofthefollowing: − Replica molds used for soft lithography − Microfluidic PDMS/Glass chips − Pre-made microfluidic chips:

v-chip is a microfluidic device that quickly measures the concentration of a biomarker in a biological sample and allows for the analysis of up to 50 samples in parallel. The quantitative results are displayed directly on the device in the form of ink bar graphs. The V-chip is a cheap and easy-to-use device that does not rely on optical or electronic components.

cell separation chip has a micropost array structure and is able to separate cells

by size and deformability in a high-throughput manner. This chip is being used for

probing cellular heterogeneity and identifying more invasive

phenotypes in cancer cells.


M-chip isahigh-throughputmicrofluidicdevicewith3120ultra-miniaturizedchamberstomonitor mesenchymal-mode migration and screen for anti-metastatic drugs that specifically inhibit mesenchymal migration.ThesmallsizeofsamplesusedwiththeM-chipallowsdetectionandanalysisofthemetastatic potential of primary or rare cells.

single-cell analysis chipusesalive-cellprintingtechnique(Block-Cell-Printing)todepositsinglecellsonaPS/glasssubstrateinordertocreatefunctionalsingle-cellarrays.Thesesingle-cellarrays may be used to screen cell heterogeneity and function, including cell protrusion, cell-cell communication, and patterning.

single-cell pipette tip can transfer and deposit live single cells directly from a cell suspension to any container for single cells. The tip is compatible with the commonly used air displacement pipette (ADP). It provides for low cost, rapid, controllable, single-cell manipulation with high cell viability, high efficiency, and operational simplicity.

equipment •OAImodel200maskaligner

•Self-builtUVexposuresystem

•NikonEclipseLV100NDmicroscope

•PlasmaEtchPE50andHarrickplasmacleaners

•ThermoscientificSuper-Nuovasingle-positiondigitalstirringhotplates

•Dongdaengravingmachine

•SchmidtTechholespuncher

houstonmethodist.org/biomicrofluidics

Core Director: Lidong Qin, PhD Email: [email protected] Phone: 713.441.7328

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Core Manager: Erkuan Wang, MSEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.9633

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The Flow Cytometry Core provides investigators with state-of-the-art equipment and

supportforflowcytometricanalysisandhigh-speedcellsorting.Analyticalapplications

can be performed directly by the end user or by facility staff members. End-user training

in various types of applications, as well as software support, is also provided.

fLow CytoMetRy core

services •Experimentaldesign •Samplepreparation •Propercontrols

•Excitationanddetection •Datainterpretation •Manuscriptpreparation

equipment

•BDFACSLSRII–Fivelaserswith355,405,488,561,and630nmexcitation;14coloranalysis

•BDFACSFortessa–Fourlaserswith405,488,561,and630nmexcitation;13coloranalysis;forwardscatterPMT;FSCphotodiode

•NIRBDFACSAriall–Sixlaserswith355,405,488,550,635,and785nmexcitation; 18coloranalysis;forwardscatterPMT;FSCphotodiode;high-speedsamplesorting; temperaturecontrolledsampleandcollectionchambers;four-wayandsingle-celldeposition

•SORPBDFACSAriall–Fourlaserswith405,488,550,and635nmexcitation; 13colordetection;high-speedsamplesorting;temperaturecontrolledsampleandcollectionchambers;four-wayandsingle-celldeposition

•AMilliporeGuava8-HT–Twolaserswith488and635nmexcitation;6colordetection; 96-well handling capability

houstonmethodist.org/flowcytometry

Core Director: David L. Haviland, PhD, C. Cy.Email: [email protected]: 713.441.9233


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The Molecular Diagnostics Core provides access to advanced instrumentation

for gene expression analysis, SNP genotyping, capillary electrophoresis, and

other molecular assays. Core instrumentation is available for self-use by trained

investigators.

MoLeCuLaR dIaGnostICs core

services

•End-usertrainingfortheuseofinstrumentation

•Experimentaldesign

•Consultationandsupport

equipment

•AffymetrixGeneChip® Instrument System

− Microarray platform for gene expression analysis

− Dell Precision 490 workstation with Affymetrix software

•Aligent2100

−Microfluidics-basedplatformforcapillaryelectrophoresisofDNA,RNA,proteins,andcells

•NanoDrop®ND-1000UV-VisSpectrophotometer

− Highly accurate analysis of nucleic acid and protein concentration

houstonmethodist.org/molecular-diagnostics

Core Director: Randall J. Olsen, MD, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.6802

Core Staff: Dilzi ModyEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.1771

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houstonmethodist.org/flowcytometry

The Nanoengineering core develops and produces state-of-the-art silicon-based

bio-nanotechnology using microfabrication techniques. Scalability, precision, and

reproducibility are characteristics of the silicon microfabrication processes which

are extremely valuable for clinical applications. The core has developed a series of

silicon-based nanomedicine platforms including Porous Silicon Particles (PSPs) and

other3dimensionalnanostructures.Owingtotheirbiodegradabilityandreadilymodified

surface properties, PSPs are emerging as promising injectable drug delivery carriers.

nanoenGIneeRInG core

•Developandproducesilicon-based nanoparticles

-Routine:1μmx400nmdiscswith 30nmor60nmpores,2.5μmx700nmdiscs with 60 nm pores, and 600 nm x 400nmdiscswith30nmpores.

-Availablebyrequest:7μmx2μmdiscs, 3.2μmhemisphere,1μmx200nmdiscs,600nmx200nmdiscs,1μmx400nmdiscswithlargerpores,and2.5μmx 700nmdiscswithlargerpores

•DesignandfabricatePSPsfeaturing preciselytailoredsize,shape,andporous structure

•Developmultistagedeliverysystemcomprisingseveral nested nanocomponents, each of which is designed to negotiate one or more biological barriers

•Fabricatestage1PSPsinanon-spherical geometry to enable superior blood margination and cell surface adhesion

•Designandfabricate3dimensional nanostructures for biomedical application

services

houstonmethodist.org/nanoengineering

Core Director: Xuewu Liu, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.7322



The Peptidomics NanoEngineering Core is a facility that designs and fabricates

customizedNanoTrapsforprotein/peptidebiomarkerdiscoveryandspecificbiomarker

detection. As an active research laboratory, the core is continuously developing new

methods to improve results.

PePtIdoMICs nanoenGIneeRInG core

•NanoTrapdesignandfabrication

•On-chipsamplefractionationand data analysis

•Nanoparticleinsertion

•Peptidesandproteinsidentification

•Unknownlowmolecularweightprotein/ peptide biomarker discovery

•Targetedpeptidebiomarkerextraction and quantification (e.g. Hepcidin-25)

•BrukerMicroflexLRFMALDI-TOF mass spectrometer

•ThermoScientificVelosProiontrap mass spectrometer

•ThermoScientificDionexUltimate 3000system

•J.A.WoollamCo.M-2000VI spectroscopic ellipsometers

•BrewerScienceCee200Xautomatic spin coater

•ThermoScientificprogrammableoven

•NordsonAP-600Marchasher

•LindbergBLUEMvacuumoven

•ThermoSpeedvacSPD111Vwith RVT4104trapandOFP400pump

•FisherScientificsonicdismembrator

services

equipment

houstonmethodist.org/peptidomicsnanoengineering

Core Director: Tony Hu, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.5530

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houstonmethodist.org/nanoengineering

ThecoreservesastheRNAcorefortheProgenitorCellBiologyConsortiumofthe

NationalHeart,LungandBloodInstitute.Thecoreproducesresearchandclinicalgrade

RNA, including modified mRNA (mmRNA) of any gene of interest, microRNA cassettes

andnoncodingRNA.ThemRNA/mmRNAconstructsproducedbythiscorehavehigher

fidelity because of the use of error-free plasmid templates for in vitro transcription rather

than polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-generated templates.

Rnacore

services • Expertassistancewithplasmiddesign

• Synthesisofhighfidelityresearchandclinicalgrade:

−mRNA –modifiedmRNA(mmRNA)

− mRNA cassettes − noncoding RNA

− piRNA clusters − non-coding RNA including single-guided RNA (sgRNA)

−customizedpolycistronicmRNA/mmRNAconstructswithareportergene


houstonmethodist.org/rnacore

R&D Director: Eduard Yakubov, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.5053

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Clinical Director: Ivone Bruno, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.7292

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All RNAs may be produced for human

and mouse species and are synthesized

as modified mRNAs with 5-methyl-CTP,

pseudo-UTP, bearing an anti-reverse cap

analog (ARCA) and long 150 nt poly-A tail.

RNA available from RNAcore

Reporter Proteins

eGFP Flus

nGFP b-Gal

Reprogramming Factors

OCT4 cMYC

SOX2 LIN28

KLF4 NANOG

Endothelium Lineage

FLI1 ETV2

GATA2 RUNX1c

OthersH1FOO IL12

Signaling Pathways

IL-6 STAT3

MAPK/JNK MAPK/JNK

NF-kB AP1

IFNA2 STAT1

TGF-b STAT2

PKR SMAD3

PKC SMAD4

Others

PRKACA/PRKACB CREB

RHOA NFAT

PAX7 SRF

YAP1 P53

MECP2 HSF1

SERPINA1 (AAT) HIF1A

F9 (Coagulation Factor) MBD3

DNA damage TCF3 (E2A)

Heat shock Hypoxia

Genome Editing

Recombinase Cas9

Zinc-Finger Nuclease

hCas9 D10A Nickase

TALEN dCas9-CatInact (dead)

TCR and CAR constructs

RNA IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE RNA ON DEMAND

Lineage Factors

Beta-Cell NGN3 MAF1

PDX1 UL48 (VP16)

Blood Progenitors GATA1 GATA4

GATA3

Cardiomyocyte TBX5 MESP1

MYEF2

Hepatocytes HNF1F FOXA2

HNF4A FOXA3

FOXA1

Neuron BRN2 NEUROD1

ASCL1 NEUROD2

NGN2 LHX3

MNX1 FOXA2

ISL1 ZIC1

ASCL1 -

Osteoclast FOS TFE3

MITF

Myocytes MYOD1

RNA ON DEMAND

The core provides access to high performance microscopy for cell biology and tissue

pathology studies. The core staff will assist with experimental design, sample preparation,

advanced microscope image acquisition, and software for quantitative data analysis.

adVanCed CeLLuLaR and tIssue MICRosCoPy core

houstonmethodist.org/tissue-cellular-imaging

Core Manager: Kemi Cui, MD, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.7270


services •Brightfield,phasecontrast,differential

interference contrast (DIC), and fluorescenceimaging

•Widefieldandconfocallive-cellimaging

•Darkfieldandreflectedimaging

•Laserscanningandspinningdisk confocal

equipment •ImagestreamXimagingcytometer

high content screening system

•ImageXpressmicrohighcontent screening system

•Livecellspinningdiskconfocal imaging system

•FluoView™FV1000confocal microscope

•Multispectralimaging(Cri)

•Totalinternalreflectionfluorescence (TIRF) imaging

•Lasercapturemicrodissection

•Highcontentscreening

•2D/3Ddeconvolution

•IncuCyte™live-cellimaging– a microscope within an incubator

•Totalinternalreflectionfluorescencemicroscopy

•NikonA1confocalimagingsystem

•Lasercapturemicrodissection(LCM,Arcturus)

•Inverted/uprightfluorescentmicroscopes

•CRInuancemultispectralimagingsystem


The Electron Microscopy Core is equipped to perform scanning electron microscopy,

transmissionelectronmicroscopy,fluorescentmicroscopy,andatomicforcemicroscopy.

eLeCtRon MICRosCoPy core

equipment

•BiocatalystAtomicForceMicroscope

− High-resolution optical imaging, life science atomic force microscope

−MIROsoftwareintegratesfluorescentandatomicforcemicroscopy

− Compatible with coverslips, petri dishes, and perfusing stage incubator for live cell imaging

• MultimodeAtomicForceMicroscope

−Ultrahigh-resolutionmaterialsciencemicroscopeforimaginginairorfluidmedium

−EquippedwithScanAsyst,PeakForceQuantitativeNanomechanicalimagingmodes, and Peak Force Tapping technology

•NovaNanoSEM230

−Ultrahigh-resolutionscanningelectronmicroscopeforgeneratingnanoscale images of material and biological specimens

− High and low vacuum may be used for imaging in the presence of non-conducting and contaminating materials

− Secondary and backscattered electron in-lens detection and beam deceleration

•TransmissionElectronMicroscopes(TEM)

JeolJEM-1400Electronmicroscope

−UltraHighResolutionTEMforclinicalwork(tissueandcellularimaging)

NovaNano230SEMwithSTEMdetector

− High resolution TEM imaging function for research work (function materials, tissues and cellular imaging)

houstonmethodist.org/SEM

Core Director: Jianhua (James) Gu, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.9955

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CLInICaL ReseaRCH services


Clinical Research Services

provide leadership for clinical

trials operations by providing

investigators with experienced

and certified staff to promote

innovative clinical research.

The Academic Office of Clinical Trials supports programs and physicians by providing

investigators with experienced and certified research coordinators, regulatory personnel,

and financial infrastructure to support internally and externally sponsored clinical

research.Byservingasaliaisonbetweeninvestigatorsandindustrysponsors,

the Academic Office of Clinical Trials facilitates the integration of clinical research

operations throughout Houston Methodist. The Academic Office of Clinical Trials is

also responsible for all components of the Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS)

at Houston Methodist.


CoresAtAGlance|31

Resources

Regulatory Support

•IRBsubmissionsandamendments

•Informedconsentpreparation

•Regulatorydocumentpreparation and management

Research Coordinator Support

•Studyfeasibilityandinitiation

•Investigatormeetings

•Subjectscreening,enrollment,andfollow-up

•Specimencollection

•IPaccountability

Financial Support

•Costassessment

•Studybudgetpreparationandnegotiation

•Invoicing

•InvestigationalNewDevices(IND)and Investigational Device Exemptions (IDE) applications

•Datacollection

•CaseRecordForm(CRF)completion

•CTMSentry

•Studycloseout

•Financialreporting

•Reconciliationofthe study cost center

houstonmethodist.org/clinical-research-services

Academic office of clinical trials Director: Pauline Todd, MBA, BSN, RNEmail: [email protected] Phone: 713.441.3242Clinical Research Services Mainline: 713.441.3250

Manager: Lenis Sosa, MSN, BSN, RN, OCNEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.3245

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Resources •Examroomsforoutpatientstudies

•Privateroomsforinfusionservices

•Semiprivateroomforinfusionservices and/orserialbloodsampling

•Fullyequippedspecimenprocessing laboratory

•Adjacentstate-of-the-artinpatientservices,including critical care monitoring

•Securestorage,preparation,anddispensingservices for investigational products with 24/7temperaturemonitoring

cockrell centers for Advanced therapeutics

The Cockrell Centers for Advanced Therapeutics promote and support clinical research operations

atHoustonMethodist.Theyoffermorethan7000sq.ft.ofclinicalresearchspacethroughout

the greater Houston area to support clinical trials closer to study participant homes or workplaces.

The Centers are staffed by research nurses, coordinators, and regulatory personnel to support

internally and externally sponsored clinical research.

CLInICaL ReseaRCH supportClinical research support at Houston Methodist enables rapid translation of

a potential treatment or technology from the preclinical stage into early

phase clinical trials. The Cockrell Centers for Advanced Therapeutics offer

sixsitesthroughouttheHoustonmetroareaandaPhase1Unitintheheart

of the Texas Medical Center (TMC) for clinical research support. The Centers

provide a full range of outpatient clinical care and study management services,

including regulatory submissions and budget management support for all phases

of clinical trials.

CoresAtAGlance|33

houstonmethodist.org/ccatcockrell centers for Advanced therapeutics clinical Research phase 1 unit Director: Eileen Dickman, PhD, MBA, CCRCEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.9777

HOUSTON METHODIST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

COCkREll CENTERS fOR ADvANCED THERApEUTICS ClINICAl RESEARCH pHASE 1 UNIT - TMC HOUSTON METHODIST HOSpITAl

SUGAR lAND HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR lAND HOSpITAl

WEST HOUSTON HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSpITAl

pEARlAND HOUSTON METHODIST pRIMARy CARE GROUp

THE WOODlANDS (COMING SOON) HOUSTON METHODIST WOODlANDS HOSpITAl

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cockrell center for Advanced therapeutics

clinical Research phase 1 unit

ThePhase1UnitislocatedintheHoustonMethodistHospital’sMainSixSoutheastwing.

It is involved with early-phase and proof-of-concept clinical trials, and conducting advanced

pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic evaluations. The unit is conveniently located adjacent

to inpatient units for inpatient studies and to a radiology facility dedicated to clinical trials.

services •Early-phaseclinicaltrials

•Researchoutpatientservices

•Regulatoryandbudgetmanagement

•Pharmacokineticandpharmacodynamicsampling (extended hours)

•Infusionservicesforinvestigationaldrugs,biologics, and cell products

cockrell centers for Advanced therapeuticsDirector: Pauline Todd, MBA, BSN, RNEmail: [email protected] Phone: 713.441.3242

TheBiomedicalInformaticsServiceCoreofferscomputationalsupportforenhancinga

variety of scientific disciplines, including molecular biology, genetics, protein chemistry,

biochemistry, and clinical research. The core facilitates translational research by providing

expertise in bioinformatics, bioimaging, database development, image analysis, and

clinical informatics. The core services range from DNA, RNA, and protein sequence

analysis to database searching, genomic prediction, and molecular modeling.

houstonmethodist.org/biomedical-informatics

Core Director: Jon Xue, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.2577

Core Manager: Tian Ding, PhDEmail: [email protected]: 713.441.7266


services

•Bioinformatics–Microarray,RNAseq, Fluidigm, next-generation sequencing, and other platforms

•Dataanalysis–Genomic,transcriptomic, epigenomic, proteomic, metabolomic, clinical, and image data analysis

•Clustercomputingsolutions

•Experimentaldesignandevaluation

•Gene/target/diseaseanalysis

•Imageanddataacquisition,processing, analysis, retrieval, and management

•Machinelearning,datamining,and outcome studies

•Proposalplanning

•In vitro and in vivo quantitative imaging

•Statisticalanalysis–Samplesizeandpowerestimation, basic and advanced analyses

•Webportalanddatabaseprogramming

bIoMedICaL InfoRMatICs seRVICe core

houstonmethodist.org/biomedical-informatics

CoresAtAGlance|35

center grant proposals support

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services •Developandsubmitcentergrant

proposals

•Budgetdevelopmentforcenter grant proposals

•Guideinvestigatorsthroughtheadministrativeprocesses and requirements for grants and contracts, technology transfer and intellectual property, regulatory compliance and research protections, and clinical trial services

The Office of Strategic Research Initiatives (OSRI) increases institutional competitiveness

for large grant opportunities. The office staff work directly with investigators throughout

Houston Methodist to develop multi-institutional extramural funding proposals.

otHer suPPoRt seRVICes

[email protected]

Manager:HanhH.Hoang,PhD|Email:[email protected]|Phone:713.441.8227

Houston Methodist researchers, clinicians, and staff have on-site access to a fee-for-service

scientificediting,writing,andconsultingsupportthroughBioScienceWriters,LLC.

Toassistwiththegrowingpressurestopublishandsecurefunding,BioScienceWriters

offers a variety of concierge services to meet the needs of native and non-native English

speaking scientists.

services •Consultingonlargegrants

•Academic/medicalwritingandediting

•Overlappingtextdetection

•Languagetranslation

•Journalsubmission

•Writingworkshops

Email: [email protected]

scientific writing & editing support

otHer suPPoRt seRVICes

The Houston Methodist Library serves as a rich resource for meeting the requested and

anticipated information needs of faculty, researchers, residents, fellows, students and other

affiliated health care professionals. In addition to the subscription to more than 9000 books

and journals and access to over 40 publication databases, the library offers access to:


clinical trial and Methodology databases

funding databases

trainings & workshops

library services

•CochraneCentralRegisterof Controlled Trials

•SciValFunding

•IntroductiontoElectronicMaterials

•AssemblingtheRelevantLiterature

•CochraneMethodologyRegister

•RefWorks

Hospital Librarian: Linné Girouard, MLIS, AHIP

Email:[email protected]|Phone:713.441.2229

scientific literature databases & Reference Management software

•Cochrane-Databaseof Abstracts of Reviews of Effects

•CochraneDatabaseof Systematic Reviews

•Cochrane-Health Technology Assessments

•CochraneNHSEconomic Evaluation Database

•IEEEXplore

•WebofScience

•HealthBusinessElite

•Scopus

•Medline

•PubMed

•RefWorks

•Browzine

Houston Methodist Research Institute

6670 Bertner Street

Houston, TX 77030

houstonmethodist.org/research

HMRI Office of Communications & External Relations | HMRI-101 | MM | DH | 05.2015

houston methodist cores at a glance

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