Kansas Center for Metabolism and Obesity REsearch (KC-MORE) - Cells, Tissues, Bioanalysis and Biostatistics Core

CELLS, TISSUES, BIOANALYSIS AND BIOSTATISTICS CORE: PROJECT SUMMARY
Adding a translational component to confirm ideas generated using in vitro and animal models is a vital part of
biomedical research. This is especially critical for a multi-organ disease like obesity. The most common path
followed by basic scientists is to obtain human samples and perform bioanalytical tests confirming their findings
obtained from experimental models. But this is easier said than done. Researchers face many challenges in
bridging this translational gap including confusing regulatory paperwork, lack of willing clinical collaborators, lack
of infrastructure to obtain and store patient samples, and much more. The Cells, Tissues, Bioanalysis and
Biostatistics (CTBB) core is designed to address this very issue. The CTBB core will be a “soup to nuts” solution
where the entire pipeline of translational research will be made efficient and easy to use for basic science
researchers who are part of Kansas Center for Metabolism and Obesity REsearch (KC-MORE) and beyond.
The CTBB core has three components. The first is the Cells and Tissues Biorepository, which will develop
collaborations with clinicians willing to collect samples after obtaining necessary IRB permissions, and collect,
store, and dispense clinical samples to basic scientists, supported by clinical coordinator. The second component
is Bioanalytical services, where a trained research technician will be available to provide technical help to develop
and perform specific bioanalytical assays. Further, we will function as liaisons between several existing
institutional and regional NIH-funded core facilities and the COBRE investigators. These include Genomics core
and Flow Cytometry core facilities at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) and IDEA National
Resource for Quantitative Proteomics at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The third component of
the CTBB core is focused on biostatistics and bioinformatics expertise. For this, the CTBB core will collaborate
with the Quantitative Omics core, which is part of Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine COBRE at KUMC. The
CTBB core will partly support additional statisticians which will provide biostatistics and bioinformatics expertise
to KC-MORE researchers. Taken together, the CTBB core will generate an efficient, comprehensive translational
research pipeline, which will provide one stop solution for basic scientists to achieve translational research goals.

Grant Number: 5P20GM144269-04
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Udayan Apte