Tissue and Data Acquisition and Analysis Core VCU Massey Cancer Center

The Tissue and Data Acquisition and Analysis Core (TDAAC) provides high-quality controlled human tissue samples to investigators, as well as provides customized services to assist them in all tissue collection, consenting, and processing needs. The core is in close collaboration with many centers and departments within VCU Health, including VCU Massey Cancer Center, and the Departments of Pathology, Surgery, and Internal Medicine.

Mission

To provide support for biomedical research at VCU by maintaining and providing a bank of high-quality human tissue samples using best practice collection methodologies, maintaining appropriate patient protections and integrating relevant clinical data.

To provide support for customized tissue collection, consenting and sample processing that meet the unique needs of the researcher.

More information about the Tissue Data Acquisition and Analysis Core is available on the main TDAAC website.

Resource overview

VCU Tissue and Data Analysis and Acquisition Core Laboratory (updated April 2021)

The Tissue and Data Analysis and Acquisition Core Laboratory (TDAAC), established in 2002, is a Massey Cancer Center (MCC) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) institutionally supported resource directed by Michael Idowu, MD, MPH and managed by Pamela Jill Grizzard, BS. TDAAC serves as a biorepository for VCU, MCC, and collaborating outside institutions by acquiring and banking human cancers and adjacent normal tissues, as well as hematological samples for use in their research. The overall objective of TDAAC is to support translational research at MCC by functioning as the primary fresh-frozen tissue acquisition and processing facility for human solid tissue and hematopoietic specimens. The broad, long-range objectives of TDAAC are to provide a gateway through which investigators involved in MCC investigator-initiated studies and clinical trials can acquire the human tissue samples required to support their research, ensuring the safeguard of sample acquisition for patient care, and to preserve the molecular integrity of the specimens. This is done through the aegis of the VCU IRB-approved “Tissue Acquisition System to Support Cancer Research” (TASSCR) protocol, which can supply specimens to a biorepository supporting cancer research through acquisition of residual tumor and normal tissue samples along with informed consent from patients. Samples can thus be provided under an anonymous honest broker system. In addition, TDAAC collects tissue, hematopoietic, and other researcher-specific samples that support investigator-initiated, IRB- approved research projects or clinical trials. All frozen tissue specimens banked in TDAAC have a corresponding formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded counterpart in the Department of Pathology archives. Patients who sign the TDAAC informed consent documentation agree to have their residual tissues and/or blood utilized for any research question, including genomic data and health information for translational research. In addition, TDAAC banks hematopoietic specimens by cryopreserving mononuclear cells for future assays that may require primary cell culture.
Data management and services

TDAAC collects and maintains associated demographic and pathological annotation in a secure SQL2000 database with an Access front-end. Treatment and survival data can be linked to TDAAC cases via longitudinal data collected by the Cancer Informatics Core (CIC) or Cancer Registry. The specimen acquisition process ensures that the primary purpose of the specimen for patient care is maintained and the quality of the specimen is optimal for biomedical research. These services are achieved through leveraging a network of interdepartmental and informatics relationships within VCU Health. TDAAC staff provide samples of extracted, quality-controlled RNA from human tissues, frozen sections, and cryopreserved samples of viable hematopoietic neoplasias. The resource director and staff provide consultative services for experimental design, data interpretation, and education of users in the use of biospecimens. In 2020, TDAAC acquired the TMA Grand Master with PCR, which will provide a cost-effective tool for reliable assessment of biomarkers in FFPE (Fixed Formalin Paraffin Embedded) tumor samples.
Data management and services

TDAAC is housed within a 1,400 ft2 laboratory space located in VCU’s Sanger Hall. TDAAC uses Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) standards to operate and incorporates the best practice guidelines for biorepositories issued by the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories and the National Cancer Institute. TDAAC also has access to the 6,400 ft2 Molecular Diagnostics (MDx) CLIA’88-certified laboratory located in the VCU Department of Pathology. The MDx laboratory performs clinical and research molecular testing with state-of-the-art instrumentation. Within the two laboratories, TDAAC has access to the following pieces of equipment for sample processing and banking: 2 Bioanalyzers (Agilent 2100); 2 automated nucleic acid extraction (MagMAX Express), 2 Applied Biosystems Thermocycler 2720, 2 NanoDrop8000 spectrophotometers; a Leica CM1850 Cryostat; 2 Thermo Scientific Revco PLUS Ultralow Temperature Freezers; 3 Thermo Scientific Locator 4 PLUS Cryobiological Storage Vessels; a Beckman, Z2 Coulter cell and particle counter, and a Microm HM-310 microtome, TMA Grand Master with PCR. All temperature-sensitive equipment is monitored by a wireless, web-based system (Viewpoint: 24/7 monitoring system), and ultralow freezers have liquid nitrogen (LN2) backup systems that automatically releases LN2 into the freezer in case of temperature failure TDAAC is supported, in part, by an NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA016059) to MCC.
Contact

Michael Idowu, M.P.H., M.D.
Director
michael.idowu@vcuhealth.org

Tana Blevins
Genomic technologist
tana.blevins@vcuhealth.org

Kory Davis
Laboratory research specialist
kory.davis@vcuhealth.org

Pamela Jill Grizzard
Manager
pamela.grizzard@vcuhealth.org

Brandy Greenawalt
Clinical research coordinator
brandy.greenawalt@vcuhealth.org

Irene Gonzalez
Information technology
irene.gonzalez@vcuhealth.org

VCU Tissue and Data Analysis and Acquisition Core Laboratory (updated April 2021)

The Tissue and Data Analysis and Acquisition Core Laboratory (TDAAC), established in 2002, is a Massey Cancer Center (MCC) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) institutionally supported resource directed by Michael Idowu, MD, MPH and managed by Pamela Jill Grizzard, BS. TDAAC serves as a biorepository for VCU, MCC, and collaborating outside institutions by acquiring and banking human cancers and adjacent normal tissues, as well as hematological samples for use in their research. The overall objective of TDAAC is to support translational research at MCC by functioning as the primary fresh-frozen tissue acquisition and processing facility for human solid tissue and hematopoietic specimens. The broad, long-range objectives of TDAAC are to provide a gateway through which investigators involved in MCC investigator-initiated studies and clinical trials can acquire the human tissue samples required to support their research, ensuring the safeguard of sample acquisition for patient care, and to preserve the molecular integrity of the specimens. This is done through the aegis of the VCU IRB-approved “Tissue Acquisition System to Support Cancer Research” (TASSCR) protocol, which can supply specimens to a biorepository supporting cancer research through acquisition of residual tumor and normal tissue samples along with informed consent from patients. Samples can thus be provided under an anonymous honest broker system. In addition, TDAAC collects tissue, hematopoietic, and other researcher-specific samples that support investigator-initiated, IRB- approved research projects or clinical trials. All frozen tissue specimens banked in TDAAC have a corresponding formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded counterpart in the Department of Pathology archives. Patients who sign the TDAAC informed consent documentation agree to have their residual tissues and/or blood utilized for any research question, including genomic data and health information for translational research. In addition, TDAAC banks hematopoietic specimens by cryopreserving mononuclear cells for future assays that may require primary cell culture.

TDAAC collects and maintains associated demographic and pathological annotation in a secure SQL2000 database with an Access front-end. Treatment and survival data can be linked to TDAAC cases via longitudinal data collected by the Cancer Informatics Core (CIC) or Cancer Registry. The specimen acquisition process ensures that the primary purpose of the specimen for patient care is maintained and the quality of the specimen is optimal for biomedical research. These services are achieved through leveraging a network of interdepartmental and informatics relationships within VCU Health. TDAAC staff provide samples of extracted, quality-controlled RNA from human tissues, frozen sections, and cryopreserved samples of viable hematopoietic neoplasias. The resource director and staff provide consultative services for experimental design, data interpretation, and education of users in the use of biospecimens. In 2020, TDAAC acquired the TMA Grand Master with PCR, which will provide a cost-effective tool for reliable assessment of biomarkers in FFPE (Fixed Formalin Paraffin Embedded) tumor samples.

TDAAC is housed within a 1,400 ft2 laboratory space located in VCU’s Sanger Hall. TDAAC uses Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) standards to operate and incorporates the best practice guidelines for biorepositories issued by the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories and the National Cancer Institute. TDAAC also has access to the 6,400 ft2 Molecular Diagnostics (MDx) CLIA’88-certified laboratory located in the VCU Department of Pathology. The MDx laboratory performs clinical and research molecular testing with state-of-the-art instrumentation. Within the two laboratories, TDAAC has access to the following pieces of equipment for sample processing and banking: 2 Bioanalyzers (Agilent 2100); 2 automated nucleic acid extraction (MagMAX Express), 2 Applied Biosystems Thermocycler 2720, 2 NanoDrop8000 spectrophotometers; a Leica CM1850 Cryostat; 2 Thermo Scientific Revco PLUS Ultralow Temperature Freezers; 3 Thermo Scientific Locator 4 PLUS Cryobiological Storage Vessels; a Beckman, Z2 Coulter cell and particle counter, and a Microm HM-310 microtome, TMA Grand Master with PCR. All temperature-sensitive equipment is monitored by a wireless, web-based system (Viewpoint: 24/7 monitoring system), and ultralow freezers have liquid nitrogen (LN2) backup systems that automatically releases LN2 into the freezer in case of temperature failure TDAAC is supported, in part, by an NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA016059) to MCC.

Michael Idowu, M.P.H., M.D.
Director
michael.idowu@vcuhealth.org

Tana Blevins
Genomic technologist
tana.blevins@vcuhealth.org

Kory Davis
Laboratory research specialist
kory.davis@vcuhealth.org

Pamela Jill Grizzard
Manager
pamela.grizzard@vcuhealth.org

Brandy Greenawalt
Clinical research coordinator
brandy.greenawalt@vcuhealth.org

Irene Gonzalez
Information technology
irene.gonzalez@vcuhealth.org

Acknowledge the Tissue and Data Acquisition and Analysis Core

All publications that include results, services or products generated by the VCU Massey Cancer Center Shared Resources must include the following acknowledgement in the manuscript:

"Services in support of the research project were generated by the VCU Massey Cancer Center Health Communication and Digital Innovation Shared Resource core, supported, in part, with funding from NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA016059."

PubMed Central (PMC) ID numbers are required for those publications that use CCSG-supported shared resources. All of Massey Cancer Center's Shared Resources are supported by the CCSG.

This Shared Resource is jointly supported by VCU Massey Cancer Center and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.