The Pathology Translational Technology Platform provides a wide range of tissue-based and molecular services to research scientists within the UCL Cancer Institute and throughout UCL.
The laboratory is well equipped to perform all experimental tissue-based procedures on human and non-human samples, and to provide molecular biology services on a project-specific level to investigators operating on variety of tissues (fresh/frozen or FFPE), body fluids and cells in culture.
As part of the Pathology Research Department at the UCL Cancer Institute, we are based at the Rockefeller Building in UCL's Bloomsbury Campus.
Services
- Automated tissue processing & embedding to wax
- Section cutting for Haematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
- Fresh Frozen processing & sectioning
- Antibody optimization and Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
- RNAscope
- Tissue Micro Arrays (TMA) construction
- Optimised DNA extraction from FF, FFPE & blood, including: PCR / qPCR
- RNA extraction from FF, FFPE & blood, including: RT-qPCR
- DNA & RNA QC - Nanodrop / Qubit / Tapestation / qPCR
Booking
Following appropriate training, you will be given access to the relevant booking calendars on the Clustermarket Bookkit system.
Equipment
- Excelsior AS tissue processor
The Thermo Scientific Excelsior AS is an enclosed automated tissue processor. It is used for the fixation, dehydration, clearing and infiltration of pathology specimens prior to embedding and sectioning.
- Embedding station
The tissue embedding station is a complete system designed for embedding tissue in paraffin blocks.
- Microtome
The microtome is a mechanical device used to cut biological specimens into very thin sections for detailed microscopic examination.
- Cryostat
The cryostat is used for sectioning fresh frozen unfixed tissue.
- Tissue Arrayer
The manual Tissue Arrayer enables the construction of Tissue MicroArrays (TMA) from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded normal and tumor tissues, cell lines, xenographs and samples from transgenic animals.
- Covaris E220e Sonicator
Covaris E220e Sonicator enables sample prep for a variety of application areas including DNA shearing for Next-Gen sequencing, RNA extraction, tissue disruption and homogenization, Chromatin shearing, cell lysis and compound formulation.
- Chemagic Prepito Instrument
Chemagic Prepito Instrument allows the isolation of high yield pure DNA/RNA for sensitive downstream applications incuding NGS, MLPA, Genotyping, Chip Based Applications.
- Qubit 3.0 Fluorimeter
The Qubit® 3.0 Fluorometer accurately measures DNA, RNA, and protein by using a highly sensitive fluorogenic dye that emits signals only when bound to specific target molecules.
- Tapestation 2200
The 2200 TapeStation enables the rapid characterisation of DNA or RNA samples quality control in next-generation sequencing (NGS), microrarray and qPCR workflows.
- Nanodrop 1000
The NanoDrop is a full-spectrum, UV-Vis spectrophotometers used to quantify and assess purity of DNA, RNA, Protein and more.
- SimpliAmp Thermocycler
The SimpliAmp Thermalcycler is designed to perform routine PCR experiments.
- QuantStudio 3 qPCR
The QuantStudio 3 Real-Time PCR System is design to perform quantitative real-time PCR experiments.
- Eppendorf Concentrator Plus
The Eppendorf Concentrator Plus enables quick and gentle vacuum concentration of DNA/RNA, nucleotides, proteins and other liquid or wet samples.
- Gemini AS Automated Slide Stainer
The Automated H&E stainer enables the simultaneous staining of various slide racks with different staining protocols (haematoxylin & eosin and special staining).
- Leica BOND RX (Rockefeller Lab 220)
The Leica Bond RXm is a fully automated advance staining machine for both Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and In Situ Hybridization (ISH).
See Immunopathology Translational Technology Platform for further details.
Following appropriate training, new users should contact ci.crukcentre@ucl.ac.uk to be invited to register with Clustermarket.