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Internet Update

March 2004

Steven Berberich, Ph.D., scans a DNA chip using microarray technology available in the core facilities of the Center for Genomics Research (CGR).

Wright State Establishes
Center for Genomics Research

The Center for Genomics Research (CGR) is the newest research center of excellence at Wright State University School of Medicine. CGR's primary mission will be to provide support and core facilities for Wright State research faculty engaged in basic and clinical research in the areas of gene expression, flow cytometry, and genotyping. Additionally, CGR will work to facilitate research collaboration through its affiliation with the Genome Research Infrastructure Partnership (GRIP), a regional consortium of academic and commercial research centers in southwestern Ohio.

"In both missions the goal will be to expedite our understanding of the genetic basis of human diseases," says Steven J. Berberich, Ph.D., who has been appointed CGR director. "The center will strive to cultivate collaborations between basic and clinical researchers at Wright State. This may occur through training of personnel, collaborative projects undertaken at CGR or through joint grant submissions involving researchers and center members."

Dr. Berberich will be responsible for the planning and coordination of CGR activities and will administer the core facilities and budgets. Madhavi Kadakia, Ph.D., CGR assistant director, will be responsible for supervising the facilities' use on a day-to-day basis and will direct technical personnel using the core facilities.

A Ph.D.-level researcher (postdoctoral fellow) will be hired to undertake and monitor CGR's external genomics research projects. Two full-time technicians will be responsible for performing DNA microarray experiments and assisting in training CGR members in using the core facilities.

Center membership will be open to all WSU-affiliated faculty as well as faculty and scientific personnel at GRIP member institutions (see table).

Like other SOM research centers, CGR will charge investigator grants for use of certain equipment to offset the costs for contracts, reagents and staff time required for equipment maintenance. For groups not associated with WSU or GRIP, the center will work on genomic research projects as a fee for service.

The new center of excellence grew out of the Gene Expression Laboratory (GEL), which was started in 2000 when Wright State and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base invested in an Affymetrix GeneChip System. The GeneChip system employs DNA microarrays capable of monitoring global changes of gene expression, sequencing large regions of DNA or genotyping polymorphic DNA loci.

Extramural funding from Ohio's Biomedical Research Technology Transfer Fund $1.5 million) recently enabled CGR to expand its genomics resources by purchasing equipment for high level digital gel image analysis, RT-PCR and flow cytometry capabilities.

Recent Kettering Fund support ($0.5 million) will be used to expand CGR staff and facilitate a second round of internal genomics seed grants for Wright State faculty.

Later this spring, CGR and the Berberich and Kadakia laboratories will move to a contiguous space on the first floor of the Biological Sciences Building (phase II). The move will make the core facilities more accessible to CGR members and enhance opportunities for more informal meetings.

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