Scientific Cores

Scientific cores at Cedars-Sinai provide a wealth of resources to the Medical Center’s research community, providing essential services to assist scientific progress, publication of findings and grant applications.

Small Animal Imaging

The Small Animal Imaging Core provides cutting edge imaging technologies and expertise for investigators interested in molecular imaging using small animal models. State-of-the-art instruments make it possible to visualize and quantify, in a non-invasive manner, the location and expression levels of specific genes and proteins that are thought to play important roles in disease. The facility consists of an area of 2,000 square feet and includes a range of in-vivo small animal imaging modalities such as microPET/CT/SPECT, magnetic resonance, fluorescence, bio luminescence and ultrasound.

Confocal Microscopy Core

Three-dimensional reconstruction and rendering of imaging data is essential for many publications and grant applications. To this end, the Confocal Microscopy Core provides high resolution, multidimensional fluorescent imaging of cells and tissues. Interactions at a molecular level are visualized and quantified by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer. Additionally, the confocal core provides guidance in immuno-staining and experimental setup.

Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorter Core

The Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorter Core analyzes cells with light activated probes for the detection of molecular expression and cell characterization; analyzes the life and death of cells, including cell destruction that may be useful in limiting tumor growth; sorts cells, including quantification of cell surface determinants; and assists researchers in understanding data and analysis programs.

Microarray Core

The Microarray Core provides powerful research tools to aid investigators in understanding the regulation of gene activity at the molecular level. Microarray technology enables us to generate and analyze critical information from thousands of genes at a time. Additionally, the core is building a database that includes analyses of tissue from mice (aorta, fat pad, liver, pancreas), rats (muscle) and humans (pancreas, white blood cells).

The core’s high-technology laboratory uses the Affymetrix Gene Chip Instrument System with an Agilent Gene Array laser scanner to prepare and analyze DNA microchips, an ABI PRISM 7700 Sequence Detection System for quantification of individually selected genes for their activity, plus an Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 and a GeneQuant spectrophotometer for quality control.