Hope Center Cores

Provides core resources and technical expertise to study mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neural repair, including Alafi Neuroimaging, Animal Surgery, DNA/RNA Purification, In Vivo Microdialysis, Viral Vectors, and Microelectrode Array (MEA) Device.

Cores offered by the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders provide investigators with resources and technical expertise to study mechanisms of neurodegeneration and repair. These include state of the art neuroimaging, surgical procedures for animal models, isolation of DNA and RNA from serum or saliva, microdialysis, viral vector production, and a multi-electrode array recording device.

Core Services
  • Alafi Neuroimaging Core: offers state-of-the-art equipment and software for imaging and scanning. Contact Core Director, Michael Wong (wongm@neuro.wustl.edu).
  • Animal Surgery Core: facilitates the development of new therapeutic strategies for nervous system disorders through expertise in animal surgery and/or protocol development. Contact Karen Smith (smithkp@wustl.edu).
  • DNA/RNA Purification Core: offers nucleic acid extraction from a variety of sources including fresh or frozen whole blood, buffy coat, saliva and frozen tissue and cell pellets. Large and small volume extractions are available. Contact Core Director, Carlos Cruchaga (cruchagac@wustl.edu).
  • In vivo microdialysis: sampling of molecules within the extracellular tissue space (brain and muscle) to identify compounds for their ability to reduce brain interstitial fluid levels of Ab or other analytes. Contact Core Director, John Cirrito (cirritoj@neuro.wustl.edu).
  • Viral Vectors Core: provides core support for investigators on the design and production of lentiviral and AAV vectors. Contact Mingjie Li (lim@neuro.wustl.edu).
  • Microelectrode Array (MEA) Device System: The Maestro microelectrode array (MEA) system [Axion Biosystems] supports investigators interested in high-throughput screening of drug effects on excitability, disease-in-a-dish modeling, and other applications for dissociated cultures of excitable cells (e.g., rodent neurons, human induced neurons, cardiac myocytes, and smooth muscle cells). Contact GENETICS-tissueculturecenter@email.wustl.edu or Celeste Karch (karchc@wustl.edu)
Contact

To learn more about Hope Center Core services, please contact the Hope Center, hopecenter@email.wustl.edu.