Research Laboratories

The core pulmonary laboratory in the Medical Sciences Research Building occupies 10,000 square feet. It is designed and equipped for chemical, biochemical, cell and molecular biology, and physiological studies. The facilities include a walk-in cold room, cell culture room, equipment room and biochemistry bioassay preparations.
 
Animal support facilities are provided by the Duke University Vivarium, which is fully accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.
 
Computer resources include a network of Macintosh and IBM PCs (10 work stations) for data acquisition (cellular, bio-chemical and in vivo models), storage and statistical analysis. Major equipment includes:

• UV/Vis (two) and fluorescent (one) spectrophotometer
• Luminometer
• HPLC (UV/Vis fluorescent and electrochemical detectors)
• Capillary electrophoresis
• Photolysis/chemi-luminescence
• FPLC
• GC mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization capabilities
• Fast gel systems
• Coulter counter
• Micro-plate reader
• Fully equipped and automated darkroom including an Ilford Rapid Print Processor
• Multiple thermocyclers
• Tonometry apparatus ultracentrifuges
• Gamma and beta liquid scintillation counters
• Intact bioassay systems for smooth muscle
• GT03 force transducer
• Grass polygraph
• Grass ECG cables and amplifier
• Fiber-Lite Spectramed pressure transducer (Model P23XL)
• DATAQ instruments computerized programs for data collection and analysis
• ABI DNA sequencer
• All required minor laboratory equipment 

The Hypo- and Hyperbaric Center laboratories occupy about 12,000 square feet of space in the Clinical Research Building II.
 
Eight chambers are rated for human use with capabilities extending from simulated altitudes up to 155,000 feet (one torr) to simulated depths of 3,600 feet (109 ATA).
 
The facilities include appropriate life-support monitoring systems and biomedical monitoring equipment to support research involving assessment of cardiopulmonary function in altered environments.
 
Four research laboratories are part of the complex and support human research as well as acute and chronic large animal physiologic studies.
 
A preparatory room for bringing animals into the clean areas, an operating room designed to meet AAALAC requirements and for animal surgery, and computer facilities to support large animal experimentation are available.

Duke University has recently made strong initiatives to be at the forefront of genome technologies and medical genetics. Fellows can work within the division as well as with researchers in the Institute of Genome Sciences and Policy, Center for Human Genetics, and the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.

These laboratories include 1,500 square feet of space in the Research Wing of the Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.
 
This space is designed for biochemical and molecular biological work, cell and tissue culture, and support of electron microscopic studies.
 
Equipment available includes:

• Liquid scintillation counter
• Spectrophotometer
• Ultracentrifuge
• Refrigerated centrifuges
• Analytic balance, lyophilizer
• Electrophoretic cells
• Tissue culture hood and incubators
• Inverted microscope
• Ultra microtome
• 3-D reconstruction workstation

Electron microscopy facilities include two fully equipped darkrooms and a JEOL 1200 transmission electron microscope.