MCW Tissue Bank - Biorepository & Tissue Analytics, Stem Cell & Organoid Core

Overview & Services

The MCW Tissue Bank and Tissue Analytics Cores each have their own request form in iLab.  Please make sure to fill out the correct form for the services you wish to request. 

The MCW Tissue Bank provides services involving human biospecimens to MCW faculty investigators. In addition to distributing tissues and other biospecimens, services associated with human biospecimens include tissue and blood processing, RNA/DNA extraction, tissue analytics, and storage.  Consented patients of Froedtert & MCW Hospitals and clinics donate specimens for biomedical research to the General Tissue and Tumor Bank, the Maternal Bank, the COVID-19 Bank, and/or the MCW Cancer Center Immuno-oncology Bone Marrow Bank.  The MCW Tissue Bank is a CAP-accredited biorepository, which ensures high-quality samples, vetted protocols, standard operating procedures, and knowledgeable, well-trained staff.

Tissue Analytics - Multi-color Immunohistochemistry and Histocytometry analyses

• Tumor Multicolor quantitative immunofluorescence histo-cytometry (7-color Akoya PhenoImager/Vectra Polaris)
  • Solid tumor immunoprofiling (CD4, CD8, CD20, FoxP3, CD68, pan-Cytokeratin, DAPI)
  • Custom 7-color multiplex immunostaining panels

Biorepository - Biofluids 

• Services: 
• • Buffy coat lysis 
  • PBMC processing 
  • Simple blood processing 
  • Cell counting 
• Samples: 
• • Whole blood/Plasma/ Buffy Coat – fresh or frozen 
  • Cord blood/Plasma/Buffy Coat – fresh or frozen
  • PBMCs – fresh or frozen
  • Blood from recovered COVID-19 patients – fresh or frozen 
  • Bone marrow – fresh or freshly cryopreserved as viable bone marrow MNCs
  • Bone Marrow MNCs as discard samples from flow cytometry – fresh or frozen (limited viability)

Biorepository - Tumors and other Tissues

• Services:
  • Fresh tissue procurement (e.g. tumor, cardiovascular, maternal tissues)
  • Snap freezing
• Samples:
  • Fresh tissue (e.g. for PDX modeling, ex vivo explants or organoids, cell lines)
  • Snap frozen tissue
  • Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue
  • Frozen tissue shaves

We perform Quality Control on banked samples

Biorepository - Nucleic acid extraction

• Fresh or fresh frozen tissue/cells - Column-based RNA/DNA extraction kits
• FFPE tissues - RNA/DNA extraction by Purigen Ionic Isotachyphoresis (better sequencing due to reduced contaminants, increased yield and less fragmentation)

Biorepository - Storage, supplies, and other services

• Data logging and barcoded labeling of samples
• Media, storage containers, and laboratory supplies
• Monitored, secure -80°C storage
• Monitored, secure LN/-150°C cryostorage

Stem Cell & Organoid Core 

Medical College of Wisconsin Stem Cell and Organoid Core (MCW-SCOC) is housed in Center for Cancer Discovery building in N0830 as a subunit of BTASR. The MCW-SCOC will serve as a multidisciplinary core facility for MCW institutional members, and other academic and industrial clients to provide human stem cell and 3D Organoid-based disease models, associated resources, and expertise. The vision of MCW-SCOC is to harness the power of cutting-edge and innovative stem cell and organoid technologies at the forefront of disease mechanism studies, understanding human organ development, and serving as a novel drug discovery and screening platform. The core will support the investigators to include human-relevant disease models as 'New Approach Methodologies' (NAM) technologies in their research projects and grant applications through academic collaboration.

Leadership

Steven H. Kroft, MD | Medical Director

Mary Rau | Research Program Director

Subhajit Giri, PhD | Technical Director, Stem Cell & Organoid Core

Location and hours of operation

Website

• Medical College of Wisconsin Tissue Bank

Contacts