Core Facility News
Bioinformatics Services Now Offered by DNA Facility
Dr. Thomas Bair
The DNA Facility is pleased to announce the addition of Thomas Bair, Ph.D. to their staff. Bair began work at the DNA Facility in January and is now available to Carver College of Medicine faculty to assist with bioinformatics projects.
Prior to joining the DNA Facility, Bair spent three years in a post-doctoral bioinformatics fellowship with Thomas Casavant, Ph.D., Director, UI Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Bair's post-doc projects included finding full-length mRNAs from developing mouse brain and developing a system to store, display and analyze microarray experiments online.
Dr. Bair hopes to assist users with their downstream analysis so they can quickly and easily assess the biological relevance of their results. When possible, Dr. Bair would also like to be able to introduce relevant and useful tools to investigators so they may be more productive in their data analysis.
With backgrounds in both biology and computation, Bair's services aim to address the challenges of CCOM researchers. Examples of support include:
- Assisting investigators in the planning and analysis of microarray experiments including training in the use of microarray analysis software packages
- Helping investigators with large datasets in creating custom data management solutions in order to get data into an analysis workflow
- Merging data with current annotation information and devising an analysis process to explore specific biological questions
Investigators who are interested in beginning a bioinformatics project are encouraged to contact Dr. Bair at thomas-bair@uiowa.edu or at 335-6717.
Microscopy Facility Offers New System for Ultra High Resolution SEM
Pseudocolored SEM of Adenovirus.
Tom Moninger, CMRF
The Central Microscopy Research Facility is taking exciting images using its recently acquired Hitachi S-4800. This Ultra High Resolution (UHR) Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) has a 5 axis motorized stage, an infrared camera that allows the operator to visualize their specimen while it is inside the specimen chamber and a turbo molecular vacuum system. The operating system allows users to store the microscope operating parameters for recall on subsequent experiments.
The S-4800 employs a semi-in-lens detector which allows ultra-high resolution at low accelerating voltages. The EXB detector collects and separates the various components of pure SE, compositional SE and BSE electron signals. Blending these signals allow the user to highlight topographical information while minimizing charging.
This system is ideal for ultra-high resolution imaging of biological and nanotechnology samples, as seen in the image of the Adenovirus (noting the icosahedral shape of the virus).
Contact Randy Nessler at randy-nessler@uiowa.edu or call the Central Microscopy Research Facility at 335-8142 for more information.
High Throughput Assay for Vitamin C
The Carver College of Medicine Electron Spin Resonance Facility has recently completed phase I in the development of a high throughput, simple reliable and inexpensive assay for total ascorbate in biological samples.
The assay uses a unique combination of well-known chemistries and has been developed for use with a standard plate reader. Up to 20 samples with standards and blanks, all in triplicate in a 96-well plate may be analyzed in a matter of hours.
The Facility's approach is published in the March edition of Analytical Biochemistry.
The ESR Facility staff is available to assist investigators with this assay and questions may be directed to the Facility at 335-6749 or to Garry Buettner, Ph.D., at garry-buettner@uiowa.edu.