Molecular Core Facility

Molecular Core Facility is a UConn Health Center Research Advisory Committee (HVRAC) supported core. It provides on-site access to a large inventory of cell culture medias, molecular reagents and kits, instrumentation for quantitative PCR, mRNA and cDNA amount and sizes, digital camera systems for photographing and analyzing gels and services such as qPCR setup, animal DNA isolation for genotyping and pcr melting curve analysis. The core also provides throughput logistics for custom oligonucleotide orders, DNAR sequencing and whole plasmid sequencing through contract vendors. Core location BG-004 (around corner from Public safety office at UCONN Health.

Visit Facility Homepage

Contacts

Instrumentation

BIORAD Experion

BIORAD CFX96 with 20 plate autoloader plus analysis software

NanoDrop Spectrophotometer

Maxwell Nucleic Acid Purification System

Calliper XT

Services and Rates

Oligonucleotide Orders

Oligonucleotide orders can be placed through the Molecular Core facility.

DNA Sequencing

Submission project types include pre-mixed, pre-defined, and custom.

Specifications

Sequencing projects will need to be submitted preferably in 0.2ml tube strips but will be accepted in 0.2ml PCR tubes. The Core will have in-stock for purchase 0.2ml tube-strips-8 and caps.

Submission project types:

Pre-mixed
- Template and primer mixed in 15ul volume, or just 10ul of template if using Genewiz Universal primers at no extra charge.
Pre-defined
- Template 10ul/reaction in one tube and in a seperate tube primer 5ul/reaction.
Custom
- Sequencing unpurified plasmid, PCR, BAC.

Sample Preparation:

Please take time to properly purify and quantify your template and provide the appropriate concentration of primer. The Molecular Core gives access to a NanoDrop to OD your samples, as well as BioRad Experion to check your PCR product. Making proper quantification a routine part of your work flow will ensure fewer problems downstream.

QPCR Service

The goal of this service is to give the basic science research community access to quantitative PCR in a timely and cost effective manner. The core has the ABI 7900HT and associated software and has accumulated sufficient experience to give direction to the uninitiated investigator in their use.The goal of this service is to give the basic science research community access to quantitative PCR in a timely and cost effective manner. The core has the ABI 7900HT and associated software and has accumulated sufficient experience to give direction to the uninitiated investigator in their use.

Specifications

Along with a Zymark automated loader once you have tested your experimental system, set-up 4 96-plates drop off the plates at the Core and get your results next day. We strongly recommend that a new user plans their first experiment with the assistance of the core staff or a user who has been trained on the ABI 7900HT so one can learn how to use the software and appropriate reaction conditions. You will need access to a PC computer to operate the software that sets the PCR running conditions for the machine and creates a plate set-up so that data is collected from the correct wells. The plate set-up will also be used in the downstream analysis of the data. Mac users can purchase PC emulation software that will run this program satisfactorily.
In practice, an investigator will need to decide whether they will do a Relative Quantitification (RQ) study or Absolute Quantification (AQ) and then if they will use primer probe system (Taqman assays) or SYBR Green as a detection. Currently Applied Biosystems, SABioscience through Qiagen, IDT and other vendors make availbale pre-designed primers with established running conditions for many genes that will save time. If you decide to design primers or use primers that have been established for regular PCR, take into consideration that optimization for preventing primer dimers, similar annealing temperature, cDNA/mRNA specificity and efficiency of 95% or greater are important for a successful qPCR experiment. Prior to bringing the plate to the molcore, you need to register a request on this web site and send the running conditions to the molcore@nso1.uchc.edu. Set up your 96 well plate and then drop it off at the Molecular Core L7032. The core staff is availabel to answer most questions and the core stocks the kits and enzymes that are commonly used for qPCR. .

Internal Rates

Molecular, Tissue, & Biological Culture Reagents Orders

The Molecular Core Facility in L6094 stocks and places special orders from multiple vendors. The facility has worked with vendors to get no shipping/handling fees and very competative prices for the most commonly used products. There are some specialty items that were bought in bulk to provide users a cost effective product.

Specifications

The Molecular Core provides a discounted mechanism for ordering both premade and custom probes, as well as common reagents.

Campus Address

Animal Tower (B), Room #BG004
UConn Health Center

Mailing Address

263 Farmington Avenue, MC 6022
Farmington CT 06032-6022

Molecular Core Facility

Molecular Core Facility

Contacts

Kevin Claffey, Ph.D.

Director

John Glynn

Core Manager

Instrumentation

BIORAD Experion

BIORAD CFX96 with 20 plate autoloader plus analysis software

NanoDrop Spectrophotometer

Maxwell Nucleic Acid Purification System

Calliper XT

Services and Rates

Oligonucleotide Orders

DNA Sequencing

QPCR Service

Molecular, Tissue, & Biological Culture Reagents Orders

Campus Address

Mailing Address

$13/run