Cytogenetics Facility

Laboratories and Equipment

The Cytogenetics Facility is located in the Department of Human Genetics on the third (315 Parran Hall) and sixth (626 Parran Hall) floors of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The core laboratories span about 800 ft2 and include facilities for cell culture, molecular cytogenetics, classical cytogenetics, automated karyotyping, and fluorescence imaging.

The cell culture facility is located in a separate room approximately 200 square feet in size with a single entrance off of the main laboratory and contains the necessary equipment for cell harvesting, cell culture, and long-term cryogenic storage [a Forma model 1108 laminar flow biosafety cabinet, one Forma double-chamber water-jacketed CO2 cell culture incubator (model 3326), four Forma single-chamber water-jacketed CO2 cell culture incubators (model 3110), an Olympus IMT-2 inverted photomicroscope, stereo microscope for tissue dissection, a Forma Cryoplus 2 Freezer (model 7402), Jouan CR3i refrigerated tabletop centrifuge, and a water bath].

The main laboratory houses facilities for chemical and reagent preparation (a chemical fume hood, Mettler balance, magnetic stirrers, vortexers, and pH meter) and storage (separate cabinets for flammables and acids), dishwashing, Millipore academic water purification system, refrigeration, and freezing, classical and molecular cytogenetics and proteomics equipment (centrifuges, microfuge, water baths, slide warmer, gel boxes, power supplies, two BioRad PowerPacs HC for western blotting, a Misonix microcon ultrasonic cell disruptor for protein lysates, forced air convection oven), two Olympus fluorescence/brightfield photomicroscopes and three Olympus light/phase contrast microscopes, with an automated karyotyping system (two networked workstations of an Applied Imaging CytoVision Ultra automated karyotyping/FISH/comparative genomic hybridization system with Mitsubishi color/B&W dye sublimation printer, a Lexmark black and white plain paper printer, and a Ricoh Aficio color/B&W plain paper printer). A PCR room is located across the hall from the main laboratory (Applied Biosystems 7300 Real time PCR system, MJ Research DNA Engine thermocycler). A warm room for bacterial culture is located nearby.

The sixth floor lab is well-equipped for PCR setup, immunocytochemistry, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (refrigerator/freezer, platform shaker, water baths, slide warmers, hot plates, hybridization oven, microfuge, BioRad Spectrophotometer, Olympus fluorescence photomicroscope). A Milli-Q water purification system and sterilization facilities are located near the laboratory. The lab also houses a PCR clean bench and an Air Clean Systems hood for PCR setup. A Revco ULTA -80°C freezer is located nearby.