Research

Shared Resources

Yale Pathology Tissue Services

Yale Pathology Tissue Services (YPTS), formerly known as the Critical Technologies for Tissue Services Shared Resource features the following modules: Tissue Procurement and Banking, Research Histology, Tissue Microarray, and Tissue Analysis.   
 
The mission of Yale Pathology Tissue Services is to maximize the distribution of human tissue for research in the context of optimal patient care and safety. The facility has four divisions:

Tissue Procurement and Banking (TPB)
The TPB division of YPTS provides fresh tissue or frozen tissue in accordance with approved standard operating procedures.  These SOPs are designed by investigators for specific tissue needs and then approved by the Yale Human Investigation Committee and key pathologists in the Department of Pathology.  Tissues from many sources are procured prospectively.  There is also a frozen tissue bank of with about 5000 tissue samples.  All materials are catalogued using the CaTissue software.  The facility is run by Dr. Alex Vortmeyer with technical direction by Dr. Yalai Bai and her staff.

Research Histology
The Research Histology division of YPYS provides complete histology services including paraffin embedding and sectioning, frozen sections, routine and special stains, immunostaining, glycomethacrylate plastic services, development of optimized protocols for staining with non-commercial antibodies, antigen recovery techniques, custom fixation, and embedding protocols.  The service also provides digital imaging services on the Bioimagene platform and is exploring offering AQUA-based quantitative immunofluorescent analysis services.  The facility is run by Dr. Alex Vortmeyer with technical direction by Lori Charette and her staff.
 
Tissue Microarray
The Tissue Microarray division of YPTS produces and analyzes tissue microarrays.  This facility enables researchers to analyze several hundred formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue samples within a single paraffin block, providing highly efficient and standardized evaluation and assessment of the samples. Tissue microarrays are in stock or can be made to order.  The inventory can be found at www.tissuearray.org.  The facility also oversees the Pathology Archives.  The facility is run by Dr. David Rimm with technical direction by Lori Charette and her staff.
 
Tissue Analysis
This core is part of the Cancer Center Share Resource by not in the Department of Pathology.  They assess ploidy and cell cycle analysis; immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization; Southern, Western, Northern blotting; PCR, RT-PCR, and quantitative PCR; SSCP; LOH; microsatellite analysis; yeast functional assay of p53; determination of clonality; and detection of circulating tumor cells.  Services are provided on a contract basis.  This facility is run by Dr. Herbert Yu and his staff.
For more information, please go to http://www.yalepath.org/YPTS/index.htm.

Contact
    David Rimm, MD, PhD, Director
    (203) 737-4204
    david.rimm@yale.edu