Translational Biomarker Core

The development of the Translational Biomarker Core (TBC) (Pam Quirk Brain Health and Biomarker Laboratory) at UNLV was started in Phase II of the Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience and provides cutting edge biomarker discovery capabilities as well as established practices in biobanking to investigators in Southern Nevada. The Laboratory houses blood, saliva, CSF, and other samples from numerous research projects and clinical trials at both UNLV and the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The capabilities of the Core include standard genotyping for known mutations, as well as in collaboration with a genomics Core facility at UNLV DNA and RNA sequencing. The majority of the workflow is directed at evaluations of protein markers in disease. To accomplish these investigations the laboratory utilizes flow cytometry, Luminex multiplexing assays, as well as a Quanterix Simoa platform. The combination of these techniques provides a robust array of targets and biomarkers that can be evaluated. The Core also contains 3 Shimadzu mass spectrometry instruments (Q-TOF 9030, TripleQuad 8060, and MALDI-TOF) for proteomic and metabolomic biomarker investigations. The Core is Directed by Dr. Jefferson Kinney and welcomes collaboration with any investigator that needs biobanking and/or biomarker discovery work in their research or clinical trials.