Cellular and Molecular Physiology Core Facility
This Core facility provides technical expertise, equipment and personnel to Liver Center Investigators who wish to work with animal models of liver disease, isolated liver cells, or gene expression in liver tissue.
The Cellular and Molecular Physiology Core is divided into two cores: the cell isolation core and the molecular biology core.
By centralizing procedures in a Core facility, investigators are assured of a high degree of quality control and preparations that can often be used simultaneously by more than one investigator.
For the following services, please contact:
- Isolation of Liver Cells - Kathy Harry
- Cell Culture Component - Mateus Guerra or Emma Kruglov
- Animal Models - Mateus Guerra
Cell Isolation Core
This facility isolates hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells (cholangiocytes, endothelial cells, stellate cells, portal fibroblasts and hepatic lymphocytes) primarily from rat and mouse. Human hepatocytes are available periodically from Univ. of Pittsburgh; Interested individuals should contact Mateus Guerra or Emma Kruglov. In addition, the Core maintains frozen stocks of some commonly used cell lines, such as HepG2, which can be provided to Liver Center members.
Expertise is available also for rat and mouse animal models of cholestatic liver disease (bile duct ligation, estrogen administration, LPS administration), fibrosis and cirrhosis (bile duct ligation, CCL4), and liver regeneration (partial hepatectomy). In addition, bile can be collected to measure bile flow in anesthetized mice. Two Matrix Anesthesia Systems are part of the Isolation Core, with one available for other investigators within the facility. These have increased the number of animals that can be utilized both for in-vivo studies of bile secretion as well as preparation of isolated liver cell populations.
Molecular Biology Core
The primary role of this core is to provide equipment and expertise to Liver Center members in a centralized facility.Equipment can be reserved by Liver Center members via schedulebook.com. For access to this online tool, please contact Mateus Guerra.
This core includes:
1. Real time RT-qPCR: Interested individuals should contact Mateus Guerra or Emma Kruglov.
- QuantStudio 6 Flex System
2. Fotodyne Imaging Workstation: This instrument uses a CCD camera to photograph gels and blots in either transmitted white and UV light or reflected white light modes. Interested individuals should contact Mateus Guerra.
3. BioTek Synergy H1MF: This equipment provides fluorescence intensity, time resolved fluorescence, fluorescence polarization, glow and flash luminescence, UV-Vis absorbance, FRET, TR-FRET, BRET, area scanning, and spectral scanning; Interested individuals should contact Mateus Guerra or Emma Kruglov.
4. LiCor Odyssey Infrared Imager
5. Access to the Keck Biotechnology Resource Laboratory: The Keck Biotechnology Resource Laboratory provides state-of-the-art biotechnology resources throughout the University. Molecular Sequencing and primer construction are common facilities available to all Yale faculty. The Keck facilities also include advanced biostatistical resources, microarray facilities, and a dedicated proteomics core that are cost-shared with this Center.