Equipment
The Cytogenetics Core Lab includes tissue culture facilities and equipment for probe labeling and hybridization. Our microscope laboratory is equipped with high-quality fluorescence and light microscopes an four computerized imaging systems, which are able to capture, process, and print microscopic images. Our fluorescence microscopes are optimized for observation of the following fluorochromes:
- FITC and SpectrumGreen (green)
- Texas-red and SpectrumRed (red)
- Rhodamine and SpectrumOrange (red)
- DAPI (blue)
- SpectrumAqua (turquoise)
- SpectrumGold (yellow)
These instruments could also be used to observe fluorochromes with similar excitation and emission wave lengths as those listed above.
Quality Control
- We follow the College of American Pathologists quality control guidelines.
- We perform daily instrumentation, reagent and technical quality control checks.
- We run positive and negative controls simultaneously with all FISH analyses; for special projects, investigators must supply the control tissues/cells.
- We use reference probes for either the p arm or the q arm of a chromosome to define chromosomal deletions in the opposite chromosomal arm.
- Please discuss controls for your specific project with Dr. Varella-Garcia in advance.