Research Cores

The core aims to address a need to support CSR musculoskeletal researchers to expand their studies from their original research toward the understanding of the mechanism of joint diseases, including osteoarthritis, osteoimmunology and joint structure pathology.

We provide high quality skeletally derived osteoblasts, osteoclasts, bone marrow stromal cells and osteocytes, as well as protocols and training for isolating, characterizing and isolating skeletally derived cells. We also develop novel techniques for isolating and studying bone cells.

The RNA seq core provides help and advice with designing of bulk tissue and single cell RNA sequencing experiments, help with tissue and cell preparation, access to space and equipment, expertise for performing bulk RNA extractions from bone and cartilage tissue and computational and statistical interpretation of RNA sequencing data.

Provides/Enables Assays for Cell Signaling Pathways
cAMP, IP3, iCa, ERK-1/2, Multi-Array, 1,25 Dihydroxy Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D, cAMP RIA, CTX-1,FGF-23, Fura-2 iCa++, Glosensor cAMP, IP1, P1NP, p-ERK-1/2, PTH.
Formats: Luminescence, RIA, ELISA, HTRF
Kit assays on a per-sample cost-basis.

NEW CORE!
The Craft lab develops and uses directed differentiation protocols for various skeletal and joint lineages from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including both embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, to study cell and tissue development and disease pathology.

Close interactions with the Imaging, Bone Cells and Signaling Cores will assure coordinated studies permitting imaging, histology, cell isolation, RNA and signaling analyses on skeletal elements from a single subject.

High-resolution micro-computed tomography (µCT) provides provides non-destructive, quantitative and qualitative assessment of trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture.