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Collaboration and Impact:
A major goal of the Organoid and Tissue Modeling Core Facility is to complement and synergize with the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine. For example, the Core will build on the services and expertise of Drs. Ganna Bilousova and Igor Kogut, who co-direct the Gates Center’s Stem Cell Biobank and Disease Modeling Core to derive, genetically modify and differentiate patient iPSC lines. The Core will also foster new collaborations by coordinating interactions with the Bioengineering Department, the new AMC Neurotechnology Center and the Biofrontiers Institute in Boulder.
Administration, Leadership and Implementation:
Peter Dempsey, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, will serve as Director of the Core Facility and Bruce Appel, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics, will serve as Director of Training and Education. Together, they will function as Co-Directors of the Organoid and Tissue Modeling Core Facility. A Steering Committee will consist of faculty representatives from participating departments and centers. This committee will meet annually to evaluate Core Facility finances, operations and productivity, as well as goals and directions.
The Core Facility will be located on the third floor of the Barbara Davis Center. The space will include a separate tissue culture facility with 3 biosafety hoods, 1 clean bench, 2 double stacked CO2 incubators, phase microscopes with imaging, centrifuges, water baths, etc. Adjacent to the tissue culture facility will be a designated room for the Olympus IX83 automated spinning disk confocal microscope. Additional lab bench space (1 bay) will be adjacent to Dr. Dempsey’s own laboratory space.
To promote Core Facility use, a website will be established that will have detailed descriptions of training and services provided and access to iLabs for reservations and purchasing. Additionally, a series of on-campus seminars will be offered to interested parties to describe the application of organoid technologies and the services provided by the Core. The Core will also partner with the Graduate Training Program in Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development to develop graduate curricula. A new two credit hour course was initially offered in fall 2019. Working with the Department of Bioengineering, the Core will also engage bioengineering students as research interns, which should catalyze new technology development. Additionally, semi-annual workshops will be held to showcase Core Facility capabilities, and an annual research symposium will feature external and AMC investigators engaged in organoid and tissue-based research.
Peter Dempsey, Ph.D. will serve as Director of the Organoid Core Facility.
Bruce Appel, Ph.D. will serve as Co-Director of the Organoid and Tissue Modeling Core Facility and as Director of Training and Education.
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