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The Pathology Translational Technology Platform (TTP) provides a range of histology and tissue-based molecular services to research scientists within the UCL Cancer Institute and across UCL.
The facility is well-equipped to support a range of projects involving human and animal samples. We work in close collaboration with the UCL / UCLH Biobank for Studying Health and Disease. The Biobank is fully licenced by the Human Tissue Authority and has REC approval to provide researchers with access to normal and diseased tissues that are surplus to diagnostic requirements.
As part of the UCL Cancer Institute, we are based at the Rockefeller Building on UCL's Bloomsbury Campus.
Interested in working with us or need histology advice? Please get in touch at ci.bbfhad-admin@ucl.ac.uk. We will be happy to discuss your project.
Histology Services
Please get in touch with the team to discuss your project in advance and to request our work request form and current price list.
Projects involving more than 100 samples or specific deadlines need to be discussed as early as possible as they will require adjustments from the team to deliver. Estimates and formal quotes for grants can be generated upon request.
Sample drop off and collection times are between 15:00-17:00 Mon-Thurs (excluding Bank Holidays). A completed work request form needs to be submitted before specimens can be accepted.
Researchers will be contacted once a project is ready to collect. Invoicing is arranged upon project completion.
- Wax processing and embedding
The Pathology TTP receives human or animal specimens for processing and embedding into wax to create formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks. These must be dissected and fixed for at least 24-48h in 10% NBF or 4% PFA before submission, so that they are ready for processing. We recommend using a fixative volume at least 10 times greater than the tissue volume to ensure thorough fixation.
FFPE wax blocks can also be created from cell pellets, organoids and assembloids that are embedded in agarose.
Very small specimens are processed using a short programme, while larger, bony, or fatty specimens require longer processing times.
After processing, specimens are embedded in cassettes so that the largest and flattest side will be exposed at the cutting surface. Please specify if a different orientation is required
- Microtomy
FFPE sections (typically 3-5um thickness) or curls (10um thickness) are cut using a rotary microtome. Researchers need to specify the number of sections required and whether sections should be collected on standard glass slides (for H&E) or coated slides (for IHC). We recommend that slides are baked at 60°C for an hour to ensure the sections are firmly attached.
- Decalcification
To enable optimal sectioning, calcium deposits must be removed from bony/calcified samples before processing. The Pathology TTP uses 10% EDTA to decalcify as it preserves tissue morphology and nuclear, antigen and enzyme staining. This produces specimens that are suitable for downstream molecular analyses including immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridisation and PCR. Decalcification is monitored by X-ray until completion. EDTA does inactivate alkaline phosphatase but activity can be restored by the addition of magnesium chloride.
If focal calcium deposits are discovered during sectioning, 10% formic acid is used to soften the block surface.
- Cryotomy
Frozen sections (typically 5-10um thickness) or curls (10-50um) can be cut from fixed-frozen or fresh-frozen specimens using a cryostat. These are typically collected on coated white slides.
The facility prefers to receive frozen specimens before they are embedded in OCT, so that the sample orientation can be identified. Alternatively, researchers should mark the preferred cutting orientation on prepared frozen blocks. The infection transmission risks of fresh-frozen samples must be discussed with managers before samples are submitted.
- H&E Staining & Coverslipping
The Pathology TTP routinely provides H&E staining to reveal the cellular and tissue morphology. Haematoxylin stains nuclei dark blue-purple while Eosin stains other cellular and extracellular components up to five different shades of pink. This can be performed on FFPE or frozen sections.
- Other/Special Stains
The Pathology TTP can optimise other special stains upon request, such as Periodic Acid Schiff, Congo Red and Thioflavin-S. Researchers should get in touch to discuss staining options and controls.
- Slide Scanning
Brightfield, whole slide images can be generated using either the:
- Leica Aperio GT 450 DX scanner -produces images in .svs format with at 40x magnification.
- Hamamatsu NanoZoomer S360 produces images in .ndpi format with at either 20x or 40x magnification.
- Hamamatsu NanoZoomer S210 produces images in .ndpi format with at either 20x or 40x magnification.
Researchers must provide a hard-drive onto which the images will be transferred. Images will be retained for up to 30 days.
- Nucleic acid extraction and QC checks
Upon request, DNA/RNA extractions can be performed on:
- curls cut from FFPE blocks using the Qiagen AllPrep DNA/RNA FFPE kit.
- curls cut from frozen tissues using the Qiagen QIAamp DNA Mini kit.
Please get in touch to discuss the options and timeframes for DNA/RNA extractions.
- Tissue Microarray Construction
Tissue MicroArrays (TMAs) can be constructed from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. This approach is valuable for combining and comparing multiple samples on one slide, especially for immunohistochemistry, RNAscope and spatial transcriptomics approaches.
Please get in touch to discuss the options and timeframes for TMAs. Please ensure that you have approval to use clinical blocks and that tissue remains available for diagnostic use.
- Immunohistochemistry and In Situ Hybridisation
Chromogenic Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and In Situ Hybridisation (ISH) can be performed using the Leica Bond MAX or Ventana Benchmark Ultra automated systems. These can be set up to perform dewaxing, epitope retrieval, blocking, antibody incubation and wash steps. They are more cost-effective the greater the number of slides that are run.
Antibodies for immunohistochemistry can be optimised on FFPE or frozen sections upon request. Please get in touch to discuss antibody optimisation and the options for IHC/ISH.
- Retrieval of specimens from the UCL/UCLH Biobank Archives
The Pathology and Biobank TTP teams have the necessary permissions to retrieve slides and section wax blocks from the archives on behalf of researchers.
Before accessing this material, researchers must have documented ethical approval in place from the UCL/UCLH Biobank for Health and Disease.
Archival material will be held securely within the facility where Pathology TTP or Biobank TTP staff will scan the slides or section the wax blocks as requested. Archival material will be returned to the Biobank within 3 months of retrieval.
Equipment
The Pathology TTP maintains a wide range of equipment available for use by UCL researchers.
Following a local induction and training with a member of Pathology TTP staff, UCL researchers can be given access to the equipment once they are competent to use it safely.
The facility can be accessed from Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00 (excluding Bank Holidays). Researchers are required to provide their own consumables.
Please get in touch to discuss the options and access to the following:
- Leica Rotary Microtomes
Rotary microtomes are used to cut specimens into sections between 1-60 microns in thickness for detailed microscopic examination.
The facility has several manual rotary microtomes available, as well as cold plates for chilling FFPE blocks and waterbaths for floating out sections.
- Leica 1860UV Cryostat
A chilled microtome for the cutting of frozen sections of 1-100 microns in thickness, at temperatures down to -30°C. It has a quick freeze function for rapid cooling of samples and a UVC disinfection to maintain sterility between samples.
Tissue samples may be fresh- or fixed-frozen tissue, and are typically embedded in OCT, agarose or gelatin.
- Leica Aperio GT 450 DX slide scanner
An automated, brightfield slide scanner that combines high image quality (0.26 µm/pixel at 40x) with rapid scanning. It is simple to operate, requires minimal user interaction and up to 450 slides can be loaded at a time.
Slides are automatically scanned at a throughput of 81 slides per hour at 40x for a 15mm x 15mm scanning area, to produce whole slide images in .svs format. Suitable for standard 25x75mm slides only. Images can be viewed using Aperio Imagescope software available from Leica.
Please note: clinical slides must be pseudonymised prior to scanning.
- Hamamatsu NanoZoomer S360 slide scanner
A high-throughput brightfield digital scanner that can handle batches of up to 360 slides at a time to produce digital images in .ndpi format at either 20x or 40x magnification.
Capable of scanning one slide in 30s (at 20× mode for a 15x15mm area). Incorporates slide label anonymisation at point of scanning. Suitable for standard 25x75mm slides only. Images can be viewed in NDP.view2 software available from Hamamatsu.
- Leica BOND-MAX
An automated staining system that is designed to deliver precise and consistent immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation assays using Leica’s antigen retrieval and detection systems.
Up to 30 slides (FFPE or frozen) can be loaded at a time, running up to 3 different staining protocols. Ideal for researchers looking to optimise single or dual chromogenic immunohistochemistry staining.
- Ventana BenchMark Ultra
An automated staining system for performing immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization on histology or cytology specimens.
Capable of fully automated slide baking, deparaffinization, antigen retrieval and staining for IHC, ISH, immunofluorescence, multiparameter IHC staining (dual, triple), counter staining and reagent titration.
Up to 30 slides can be loaded, with independent protocols and temperature controls (ambient to 100°C) available at each position.
- Covaris E220e Sonicator
An acoustic focused ultrasonicator, capable of rapid and complete homogenization, tissue disruption and DNA/RNA extraction from a range of sample types and volumes, including FFPE and frozen curls.
Samples can be homogenized in small batches using kits available from Covaris.
- Bio-rad Droplet Digital ddPCR System
Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) systems splits PCR reactions into 20,000 droplets. PCR amplification and detection of the template then occurs in each individual droplet, allowing for improved sensitivity to detect low-abundant sequences in a sample.
ddPCR uses reagents and workflows similar to those used for TaqMan probe-based assays. It is particularly useful for precise quantification of gene expression levels, rare DNA targets and copy number variation.
- Tapestation 2200
The 2200 TapeStation enables the rapid quantification and QC check of DNA or RNA samples, typically used prior to next-generation sequencing (NGS), microarray and qPCR workflows.
- Qubit 3.0 Fluorimeter
The Qubit® 3.0 Fluorometer accurately measures DNA, RNA, and protein using a highly sensitive fluorogenic dye that emits signals only when bound to specific target molecules.
- NanoDrop 1000
The NanoDrop is a full-spectrum, UV-Vis spectrophotometer used to quantify and assess the purity of DNA, RNA and Protein.
The work performed by Pathology TTP staff should be acknowledged upon publication.
If you have any comments or queries regarding the Cancer Institute Translational Technology Platforms, please contact us at: ci.ttpfeedback@ucl.ac.uk
