The Radiopharmaceutical Analytics and Specimen Research (RASR) Core was founded within the UW Carbone Initiative for Theranostics and Particle Therapy (ITPT) with the aim of being a one stop shop for radioactive sample analysis and storage. Our mission is to provide next generation in-vivo metabolism and biological assessment of new radiopharmaceuticals in clinical and preclinical studies. RASR is a fee-for-service facility that houses a suite of analytical instruments dedicated for use with radioactive biospecimens. We strive to provide our users with high quality service and reliable results with the expertise from our frequent collaborators in the Cancer Pharmacology Lab (CPL) and the Flow Cytometry Core.
RASR is a BSL2 facility and does not accept BSL3 samples.
Services
Technical Services
- Pharmacokinetics
- Metabolite and Daughter Isotope Analyses
- Single Cell Sequencing and Proteomic Analyses
- qPCR, DNA/RNA Sequencing, Flow Cytometry, Histopathology
- Spatial Transcriptomics
Regulatory Services
- Data Access and Data Backup via SecureDrive
- Access to SecureDrive is restricted to RASR staff to ensure security and confidentiality.
- Storage and Inventory of Radioactive Samples
- IATA Shipping Certified for Biospecimens, Dry Ice, and Radioactive Specimens
- Disposal of Radioactive and Biological Waste
Equipment
RASR equipment undergoes annual preventative maintenance and annual certification. All facility freezer and fridge temperatures are monitored 24/7 with temperature probes from the Sonicu Freezer Monitoring System.
Cold Storage: -80°C Freezer, -20°C Freezer, 4°C Fridge
Sample Processing: BSL2 Biosafety Cabinet, Chemical Fume Hood, 2 Benchtop Refrigerated Centrifuges, 1 Benchtop Refrigerated Microcentrifuge
Visit RASR’s iLab page to view services, equipment, pricing, and consultation requests.
Metabolite and Isotope Analyses
Hidex Automatic Gamma Counter (AMG): dedicated for use with PET/Nuclear Medicine applications.*Full-service operation by RASR staff. No self-service option.*
Hidex 600 SLe: the only commercially available liquid scintillation counter that has 3D alpha/beta separation capabilities with 0% misclassification.*Full-service operation by RASR staff. No self-service option.*
Shimadzu LC-20 HPLC System: designed for pharmacokinetic analyses of biological fluids such as plasma, urine, and extracted tissue homogenates to allow quantitative analysis of radioisotope concentrations as well as determine if radioactive metabolites are present.*Full-service operation by RASR staff. No self-service option.*
Biological Analyses
IsoSpark Duo: an automated proteomics platform designed for functional immune cell profiling capable of characterizing differences among immune cells at both the single cell and bulk cytokine resolution.*Self-service option: UW researchers only.*
“Lava” ThermoFisher Attune Next Flow Cytometer: analysis of radiotherapy samples *Self-service option: UW researchers only.*
BioTek Synergy H1 Microplate Reader: can be tailored for any in-vitro studies involving cell proliferation, viability, cytotoxicity, or kinetics. This system allows for the measurement of absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence.*Self-service option: UW researchers only.*
10X Genomics Visium CytAssist: enables spatially resolved whole transcriptome and highly multiplexed protein expression analyses of FFPE or frozen tissue sections by mapping gene expression over high-resolution microscopy and/or iQID images. *Self-service option: UW researchers only.*
BioRad C1000 96-Well Thermo Cycler: allows for easy protocol creation and editing to accommodate a range of assays, such as RNA harvesting or cDNA synthesis. *Self-service option: UW researchers only.*
UW self-service users must complete all required Radiation Safety training, be listed on a valid Radiation Safety Permit, and have a dosimeter to obtain access to IsoSpark Duo, to “Lava”, and the Biotek microplate reader. If you have any questions about how to obtain a dosimeter or about Radiation Safety courses, please contact the Office of Radiation Safety at radiationsafety@wisc.edu or 608-262-3600.
Publication and Awards
Any published research which received funding from the UWCCC Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG), including the use of UWCCC Shared Resources to generate or analyze data or conduct clinical trials, must reference the UWCCC. Please acknowledge the UWCCC RASR Core for any work supported by RASR. See Acknowledging UWCCC in Publications, Posters and Presentations for additional information. Thank you!
Sample Acknowledgment
“The author(s) thank the UWCCC Radiopharmaceutical Analytics and Specimen Research Core, supported by University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA014520, for use of its services.”
Our Team
Faculty Leader: Reinier Hernandez
Facility Manager: Amanda Carston