Core Facilities

HSCI has established three mechanisms for research funding, one of which are core grants. The purpose of HSCI core grants is to accelerate stem cell research within the Harvard community by providing resources and services that are beyond the means of most individual labs. Access to HSCI core facilities will be open to all HSCI members, and we expect that these cores will foster a culture of interaction and collaboration that will stimulate new approaches to the field.

Flow Cytometry Core Facilities

The Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) has made Flow Cytometry services available to HSCI Principal and Affiliated Faculty at three affiliated hospitals. Because most flow cytometry facilities in general are running at capacity, there are significant wait times associated with their use in addition to the fact that they are typically available only to investigators directly affiliated with that supporting institution. The HSCI Core Facilities, however, are open to all HSCI members, regardless of specific hospital affiliation, at a discounted rate. To find out more about these facilities, click here.

Genome Modification Facility 

The mission of the Genome Modification Facility is to offer to the community of scientists within the Harvard Stem Cell Institute a high level of expertise in mouse genetic engineering and the tools that permit the efficient generation of animal models for stem cell research in a cost-effective and timely fashion.  

  • Production of transgenic mice by pronuclear microinjection of DNA constructs in plasmids, BACs or YACs
  • Chimera construction by injection of ES cells into blastocysts or aggregations with morulae
  • Cryopreservation and storage of embryos and sperm
  • Mouse strain resuscitation by in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
  • Re-derivation of mouse strains by embryo transfer
  • Gene targeting in embryonic stem (ES) cells
  • The development of lentiviral vector based transgenes
  • Validation of DNA vectors, ES cells and feeder lines
  • Consultation on genetic model creation

Questions? - Please contact:

Manfred Baetscher, Ph.D.
Director, Genome Manipulation Facility
16 Divinity Ave, Room 1062
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-7991
mbaetscher@mcb.harvard.edu

HSCI Therapeutic Screening Group

The Therapeutic Screening Group at HSCI is being established to take comprehensive advantage of some of the unique aspects of stem cell biology to identify reagents and compounds that either affect cell differentiation or could be therapeutic agents themselves. The lab will be equipped with robotic liquid handling systems, a conventional plate reader for standard measurements such as needed for cell-based luciferase assays, and a high throughput confocal microscope-based detector that will allow non-homogeneous differentiation assays (using, for example, GFP or other fluorescent reporters) to be set up. The group has a special interest in orphan nervous system disorders, but anticipates working with other members of the HSCI community and third parties, including those who have a direct interest in translational research. 

Questions? - Please contact:

Lee Rubin, Ph.D.
Director of Translational Medicine
Sherman Fairchild Building,
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-384-5799
lee_rubin@harvard.edu

Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Support Services

The Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) and Harvard Medical School-Partners Healthcare Center for Genetics and Genomics (HPCGG) have made Mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) Cell services available to HSCI Faculty. The HPCGG provides a broad, extensible and integrated platform to investigators for genomic and proteomic research.

The HPCGG Gene Modification Laboratory has been in operation since the fall of 2003 serving BWH and MGH investigators, and welcomes this opportunity to participate with the HSCI in providing cutting edge technologies in support of advancing stem cell research says Vance Morgan, Ph.D., HPCGG Director of Laboratory Operations.

HSCI Faculty wishing to have access to these services should submit a detailed proposal to HSCI (HSCI@harvard.edu) with the subject header Recombinant Request. Proposals will be reviewed and prioritized. Decisions will be communicated to investigators via email. On average, the time-frame for approval will take about 10 days.

Questions? - Please contact:

David Conner, Ph.D.
Laboratory Director for the Gene Modification Core
HMS Department of Genetics
77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-432-6522
Fax: 617-432-7832
conner@receptor.med.harvard.edu

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Facility

The HSCI human embryonic stem cell core facility at Childrens Hospital is now open for business. The core is committed to providing excellent technical, consultative and instructional services to the HSCI community in the challenging field of mouse and human embryonic stem cell research.

As part of their services, they are organizing a monthly meeting in which many topics related to embryonic stem cells will be covered. The goal is to make this meeting a valuable forum for the discussion of a wide variety of issues of interest. Topics may include everything from bioethics to the discussion of new technologies or scientific breakthroughs; from ES cell trouble-shooting to the review of regulatory restrictions and guidelines.

Questions? - Please contact:

Thorsten Schlaeger, PhD
HSCI/CHB hESC Core
Karp Bldg. R08215
1 Blackfan Circle
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-919-2082
schlaeger@enders.tch.harvard.edu