The In Vitro Analytical Core (IVAC) is being established within the University of New England’s Center for Cell Signaling Research (CCSR) to provide essential expertise, instrumentation, training, and services that advance investigations into molecular mechanisms and cellular processes involved in aging, stress, bioenergetics, and cellular metabolism.
The IVAC is designed to support the research objectives of CCSR Research Project Leaders (RPLs) while also serving as a regional resource for investigators within and beyond UNE. The IVAC will centralize and consolidate equipment and shared resources into a newly renovated laboratory, bringing instrumentation to Maine that is currently unavailable locally. Highlighted equipment includes a Thermo Scientific CellInsight CX5 high-content multiplexable quantitative imager for cellular and subcellular functional examinations, a QuantStudio5 384-well Real-Time multiplexable PCR machine, and a Thermo iBright 1500FL five-channel gel/blot imager for multiplex fluorescence analyses. The facility’s instrumentation list also cites a QuantStudio 3 real-time PCR system, FLIPR Tetra fluorescent imaging plate reader, CellInsight CX7 LZR high content analysis platform, Agilent Seahorse XF HS Mini, mammalian cell culture facilities, and general protein analysis equipment, enabling a broad range of cellular and molecular assays.
The IVAC’s services are organized to support the full lifecycle of in vitro cell model work. Core activities include development and maintenance of stable cell lines, performance of transfections and the use of genetically encoded biosensors for functional imaging of biochemical processes, and utilization of diverse protein analysis approaches such as gels, blots, well-based, and cell-based assays. The Core will also prepare samples for downstream “omics” applications—such as mass spectrometry and RNA-seq—that can be completed by external IDeA cores. Hands-on services include consultations, troubleshooting, protocol development, and cell line maintenance and banking. Training offerings span instrumentation demonstrations, individual hands-on training, and workshops to raise capacity and technical proficiency among faculty, staff, and trainees.
To ensure scientific rigor and service quality, IVAC will implement standard operating procedures, design and execute new training programs, engage in method development and improvement, and expand collaborations with other core facilities inside and outside UNE. The Core will prioritize supporting the RPLs’ research goals while simultaneously enhancing UNE’s overall research capacity. UNE has committed institutional support including renovation costs, matching funds for equipment purchases and service contracts, and protected time for the Core Director, contributing to the IVAC’s operational foundation.
The funded project (project number 5P20GM152330-02) includes an award amount of $295,312.00 and spans a budget period through December 31, 2025, with the IVAC considered active in the 2025 fiscal year. Staffing plans include the Core Director, a full-time Core Manager, and a Staff Technician. The IVAC will pursue long-term sustainability by adopting an efficient online management system, conducting regular evaluations, supporting continuing professional development, and increasing its regional and national visibility and reputation. Collectively, these activities are intended to establish a functional, high-quality IVAC that supports RPLs and other investigators, advances cell signaling research, and creates a lasting regional research resource.
