Biorepository & Tissue Analysis Equipment

The Biorepository & Tissue Analysis (BTA) Shared Resource has the following equipment, technology, and instruments to assist investigators.

  • Biospecimen storage: Four -80°C freezers, one -20°C freezer, one 4°C refrigerator, and temperature monitoring systems linked to a central campus monitoring system within MUSC’s Facilities and Engineering Unit.
  • Cryostat: Leica CM 1850 UV
  • Microtome: Microm HM 340E
  • Tissue embedding system: Leica EG 1160
  • Tissue processor: Milestone Histos 5 Rapid Microwave Histoprocessor
  • Bioanalyzer: Agilent 2100
  • Data storage: The BTA uses TissueMetrix (Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Inc.) as the biorepository management database. This web-based software utilizes a standard PC workstation with internet connection as well as a Brady printer for label generation. TissueMetrix is hosted locally, and data is backed up per institutional protocols. This workstation is physically located within the BTA laboratory and serves at the time when specimens are received along with accompanying clinical data. This workstation provides BTA staff with a laser scanner to easily and efficiently check barcoded samples out of the facility. This workstation has standard office and graphics programs installed to support various data analyses.