The Molecular Biology, Sample Processing and Storage Facility Core (Molecular Biology Facility Core) is designed to support Center research initiatives, pilot projects, and development of new research projects as well as provide the infrastructure for ongoing environmental health sciences research projects conducted by Center members. A major goal of our Center is to improve health by identifying susceptible groups with increased environmental risks for disease and ill health. To accomplish this goal, the Center focuses on environmental exposures and genetic variation that influence susceptibility to these exposures in diverse human populations. Because many Center investigators use epidemiologic approaches to characterize genetic variants that influence risk, the Core currently focuses on sample collection, processing and storage for large volumes of samples as well as a providing flexible genotyping approaches that can be tailored to investigator needs.

The activities of the Molecular Biology Facility Core fall into the following categories: (i) general support services which are primarily those of specimen tracking, processing and storage, (ii) services aimed at micro dissecting tissue specimens to ensure the authenticity of the material being studied, (iii) services which are primarily those of tissue processing to extract DNA, RNA, or proteins, (iv) genotyping or other study-related assays and procedures for either (v) pilot projects (directly funded by the NIEHS Center Grant), (vi) larger independently-funded studies that use the infrastructure and expertise of the Molecular Biology Facility Core laboratory, (vii) collaborative interactions with campus-wide shared resources for large studies, and (viii) educational/consulting activities.