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SPOT Digital Microscope Camera and Digital Imaging Software for the lab of Dr. Lowy.About the SPOT Digital Imaging System: The third generation SPOT™ RT3 Slider enables both true color imaging and high sensitivity monochrome imaging in a single camera. Electronic circuitry refinements and deep cooling provide clean, uniform backgrounds when light is limited. The flexible RT3 Slider is ideal for brightfield color imaging, fluorescence microscopy, FISH, GFP imaging, immunofluorescence and 3D deconvolution. IEEE 1394 Firewire™ connectivity enables effortless installation on computers and laptop portability. About Dr. Lowy's lab: Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Due to the aggressive nature of the disease patients newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer average less than one year of survival. The focus of my laboratory research is to understand the molecular changes that take place in pancreatic cancer cells that account ofr its aggressive behavior and resistance to treatment. Toward that end, in 2003, we co-developed the first mouse model of human pancreatic cancer that is now in use around the world. Scientists utilize this model to study all aspects of the disease. Our group has used the model to identify a protein called the RON receptor which is expressed at increasing abundance during the progression of normal pancreatic duct cells to cancer. The working hypothesis of our laboratory is that RON receptor signaling is a potent promoter of invasive growth and survival in human pancreatic cancer that represents a potentially valuable therapeutic target. In support of this idea, we have recently shown that RON receptor downregulation can sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapy. Despite these findings, major gaps in our understanding of RON receptor biology and its role in pancreatic cancer remain. Our current goals are; 1) to directly test the hypothesis that RON signaling promotes the development and progression of pancreatic cancer, 2) to investigate mechanisms of RON activation in pancreatic cancer and, 3) to test the effects of a new antibody against RON pancreatic cancer. To accomplish these goals, we utilize a variety of mouse model systems. The findings from these studies will enhance our understanding of RON biology and thereby serve to inform the development and further testing of RON-directed therapies in pancreatic cancer.
Alpha Innotech FluorChem HD Imaging System for the lab of Dr. John Welsh, Associate Professor at the Vaccine Research Institute of San Diego L to R: John Welsh, Per Borgstrom, Parisa Abedinpour and Gaelle Rondeau Dr. Welsh does cancer research involving the manipulation of RNA and DNA molecules and proteins. When we change the structure of RNA or DNA, or change the expression of a protein, we need some indirect way to confirm that we have succeeded in making the changes that we wanted to make. One of the simplest ways to do this is to use electrophoresis to separate molecules according to their physical properties and then to visualize them by staining with a dye that fluoresces when exposed to ultraviolet light. The next step is to photograph the gel in a gel documentation instrument, to make measurements and to keep a record. The gel documentation system is a basic tool that we could not function without. We are extremely grateful to the Hope for a Cure Foundation and its generous contributors for providing us with an Alpha Innotech FluorChem HD Imaging System, which performs this critical function, as well as a variety of other functions that are commonly used in cancer research laboratories. In today’s extremely competitive funding environment, philanthropic gifts such as this allow us to focus more of our energy on research, and less on the business aspect of running a laboratory.
Tecan luminometer for the lab of Dr. Geoff Wahl, Professor at the Salk Institute and Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Diego L to R: Dr. Geoff Wahl, Mark Wade, Yao-Cheng Li (Leo) Missing from picture: Jennifer Green Dr. Wahl is a Professor at the Salk Institute, an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Diego in the Department of Biology, and the past President of the American Association for Cancer Research (2006-2007). His research focuses on two important problems related to cancer biology. The first concerns the signal transduction pathways that ensure the control of genetic stability in normal cells. These pathways are invariably disrupted during cancer progression. This work emphasizes the stress response pathway involving the p53 tumor suppressor and its negative regulators. An important objective of this work is to develop more effective therapeutic strategies to selectively activate p53 and preferentially induce death of cancer cells. The latest piece of equipment, a Tecan luminometer, was purchased by HFAC for the Salk Institute in La Jolla. The luminometer is used to measure the activity of luciferase, a light-producing enzyme derived from fireflies. The luciferase assays are used to obtain multitudes of information from cells, including their proliferation rate, viability and the activity of certain signaling pathways. This particular instrument can read up to 384 samples simultaneously and has the capability to repeatedly take discrete measurements, thus allowing researchers to perform experiments and collect data over several days rather than several months. With the Tecan luminometer, Dr. Wahl's group can now monitor the cells' interactions in a real-time, non-invasive way. The abnormal interactions of p53 with its negative regulators have been shown to contribute tumorigenesis – they can now start to search for small molecules that interrupt the interactions of small molecules that could potentially serve as therapeutic interventions for those cancer patients who have abnormal p53/Mdm2 and p53/Mdmx interactions.
Bio Rad S1000 Thermal Cycler, with a Fisher Scientific Series 3110 Incubator for the lab of Sonia Ramamoorthy, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center L to R: HFAC Board Members Pam Xitco and Olga Fisher, Research Assistant Linda Luo, and Dr. Sonia Ramamoorthy with the Bio Rad Thermal Cycler.  Research Assistant Linda Luo with the Fisher Scientific Series 3110 Incubator Our most recent gift was to Sonia Ramamoorthy, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center. Dr. Ramarmoorthy specializes in colon and rectal surgery. Her cancer research, like so many others at UCSD, requires specialized equipment to improve the quality and longevity of the cancer cells they are studying. As our friends and family members continue to support the foundation with their generous contributions, we were able to purchase a Bio Rad S1000 Thermal Cycler along with a Fisher Scientific Series 3110 Incubator for Dr. Ramamoorthy’s lab. The incubator, from Fisher Scientific, was needed so that they could provide optimal growth for the live cancer cells that are required for their studies. The Bio Rad Thermal Cycler is a PCR machine which helps amplify the DNA/RNA once it has been extracted from the cells. The DNA and RNA are the molecular footprints in cancer that help us to understand how it differs from the normal tissue surrounding it. Our appreciation to Dr. Ramamoorthy and her research assistants for all they are doing to help eradicate cancer in our world today.
363 Fluorescence Detector by Hitachi to the lab of Dr. J. Kellogg Parsons of the UCSD Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center (L to R) Dr. J. Kellogg Parsons, Professor Cheryl Rock and Mr. Dennis Heath with the Fluorescence Detector  363 Fluorescence Detector by Hitachi This donation project was to Dr. J. Kellogg Parsons of the UCSD Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center. The equipment purchased for Dr. Parsons was a 363 Flourescence Detector by Hitachi. Dr. Parsons' research focuses on the epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of prostate and bladder cancer and prostate hyperplasia. He is particularly interested in clinical trials and improving patient care through the application of evidence-based medicine. His previous research has included identification of free testosterone as a risk factor for prostate cancer, optimization of prostate cancer diagnosis utilizing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) isoforms, and descriptions of novel risk factors for prostate hyperplasia. The equipment purchased for Dr. Parsons is currently being used to aid in research for a grant given to USCD / Dr. Parsons by the NIH, in regards to the prevention and treatment of bladder and prostate cancer thru diet. Dr. Parsons is the principal investigator at UCSD for the Selenium and Vitamin E Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT).
Kodak Gel Logic 200 PC to the lab of Dr. Stefan Riedl of The Burnham Institute L to R: Tae-Hyun Chris Kim, Dr. Stefan Riedl, Malgorzata Dobaczewska, Jean Freiser  L to R: Olga Fisher, Pam Xitco, Eva Borgstrom, Maryjo Highland, Jean Remmer, Malgorzata Dobaczewska, Dr. Stefan Riedl and Jean Freiser Missing from group: Dee Jerge This donation project was to Dr. Stefan Riedl, whose lab is part of the Cancer Center at The Burnham Institute for Medical Research. The equipment purchased for Dr. Riedl was a Kodak Gel Logic 200 Imaging System. Dr. Riedl’s lab focuses on the understanding of central protein complexes, which act as molecular switches in important cancer pathways. Understanding these switches is crucial to enabling researchers to develop drug compounds influencing these key regulators as a means of combating various cancers. The Kodak Gel Logic 200 is a state-of-the-art gel imaging system, which allows precise analysis of the protein complexes. The equipment replaced a manual type process which was much more labor intensive as well as time consuming in identifying protein components and how they interact to form large complexes; a process that requires visualization by various methods. Dr. Riedl has trained at several prominent institutions such as Max Planck Institute and Princeton University, and most recently started his own lab at Burnham in the area of Apoptosis and Cell Death Research.
Bio-Rad Multicolor Fluorescent Imaging System to the laboratory of
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