Division of Biology and Medicine
BioMed Core Facilities
Molecular Pathology Facility
The Molecular Pathology Facility provides all-inclusive histology and histopathology services, equipment and training. The core houses an automated tissue processor, a paraffin embedding center, automated microtomes, a cryostat, a vibratome and a multiheaded light microscope.
Molecular Pathology Facility
The Molecular Pathology Facility provides all-inclusive histology and histopathology services, equipment and training. The core houses an automated tissue processor, a paraffin embedding center, automated microtomes, a cryostat, a vibratome and a multiheaded light microscope.
About
The Molecular Pathology Facility at Brown University, open to all investigators, provides all-inclusive histology and histopathology services and training. The core houses state-of-the-art equipment, including an automated tissue processor, a paraffin embedding center, two automated microtomes, a cryostat, a vibratome for soft-tissue sectioning, a multiheaded light microscope with projection capabilities and a slide scanner with analysis software for the identification and quantification of morphological structures. The Molecular Pathology Facility is staffed by a director, a histologist and a histotechnician, who have expertise in histopathological and immunocytochemial methods, including fixation, dehydration, embedding, sectioning, histological staining, immunolabeling, high-resolution imaging, and quantitative image analysis. Facility staff provides all-inclusive services in sample preparation, offers assistance in imaging and image analysis and provides consultation for ongoing or future research projects.
Related Core
The Molecular Pathology Core Laboratory (MPCL) is a core facility at the department of pathology at Rhode Island Hospital. This core offers a broad spectrum of technical services to both Lifespan and external investigators on a fee-for-service basis.
These cores are listed in CoresRI.org, a searchable directory of core facilities in Rhode Island.
Find us at CoresRI!
Services and Instruments
Tissue Sample Processing
- Paraffin Processing and Embedding
- Plastic Processing and Embedding
- Frozen Tissue-Embedding in OCT Block
- TEM Processing and Embedding
- SEM Processing
- Sample Preparation for Serial Blockface Imaging
Staining
- Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E)
- Special Stains*
*Special Stains include Masson's Trichrome, Sirius Red, Congo Red, Oil Red O., Silver stains and other heavy metals, Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS)
Sectioning
- Paraffin
- Plastic
- Frozen/Cryostat
- Ultrathin
- Vibratome
- Serial and Step Sectioning
Immunolabelling
- Immunohistochemistry, Immunocytochemistry
- Immunofluorescence
Additional Services
- Technical Assistance
- Consultation and Support Services
Instrumentation
| Instrument/Service | Manufacturer | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Automated Tissue Processor | Leica ASP300 S | Tissue processing for paraffin embedding |
| Paraffin Embedding Center | Leica EG1150C | Paraffin embedding |
| Automated Microtome | Microm HM 355S | Paraffin sectioning |
| Automated Microtome | Leica RM2265 | Paraffin sectioning, plastic sectioning |
| Cryostat | Leica CM3050S | Sectioning of fixed or unfixed frozen samples |
| Vibratome | Leica VT 1000S | Sectioning of fixed or unfixed samples |
| Light microscope with a projector | Nikon Eclipse 50i | Collaborative analyses of histological slides and digital imaging capability |
| -80C Freezer | Revco | Sample storage |
Protocols
Osmium-Thiocarbohydrazide-Osmium (OTO) Enhanced Contrast Procedure
Osmium-Thiocarbohydrazide-Osmium (OTO) Epon TEM Processing Protocol
Other Protocols
Service Request and Reservations
Please go to Brown University iLab
Login with your Brown credentials and select the Genomics Core from the drop-down menu. Then click on “request services” and follow the instructions for reservations and billing.
New External and Commercial customers click here
Rates
FY25 Rates
| Service | Units | Internal Academic Rates* | External Academic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tissue Sample Processing | |||
| Paraffin Processing and Embedding - automated | Cassette | $5 | $9 |
| Paraffin Processing and Embedding - manual | Cassette | $11 | $18 |
| Placing tissue in cassettes | Cassette | $2 | $3 |
| Sectioning | |||
| Paraffin sectioning - first slide | Slide | $4 | $6 |
| Paraffin sectioning - extra slides | Slide | $32 | $3 |
| Frozen sectioning - first slide | Slide | $7 | $11 |
| Frozen sectioning - extra slides | Slide | $2 | $3 |
| Staining | |||
| H&E staining - first slide | Slide | $4 | $6 |
| H&E staining - extra slides | Slide | $2 | $3 |
| Special Staining - first slide | Slide | $7 | $12 |
| Special Staining - extra slides | Slide | $4 | $7 |
| Immunolabeling | |||
| Immunohistochemistry - first slide | Slide | $28 | $45 |
| Immunohistochemistry - extra slides | Slide | $2 | $3 |
| Technical Assistance | |||
| Labor and Technical Assistance | Hour | $29 | $47 |
Effective 11/18/2024
*Rates for Brown and Rhode Island Academic and Hospital Affiliates
**Enhanced contrast EM: enhanced staining for serial block-face imaging on the Thermo Apreo VS SEM
Please see FAQ section for requirements for tissue placed in cassettes prior to submission to the molecular pathology core.
Contacts/Locations
Resources for Equipment
Instruments and Facilities
The Leduc Bioimaging Facility provides equipment and training dedicated to high-resolution imaging in the life sciences.
Automated slide scanner for imaging fluorescence and brightfield (e.g. H&E slides).
Resources for Grants
Molecular Pathology Facility. This facility, located at the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine, is supervised by an MD-PhD-level, board certified pathologist and staffed by a full-time manager and research assistant. The facility provides access to histopathological, immunohistochemical and immunocytological technologies. Processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining of specimens is provided. The instrumentation includes a Leica EG1160 embedding center, a Leica CM3050S cryostat, a Micron HM355 rotary microtome for paraffin sections, a Leica RM2265 rotary microtome for thick and semi-thin plastic sections and paraffin sections, a Leica ASP300 S Automated Vacuum Tissue Processor, a ScanScope CS digital slide scanning system from Aperio Technologies, a Fujix Bas 1000 phosphor imager, a Nikon Eclipse TS100 inverted fluorescence microscope, a Nikon E800 microscope with a digital camera, a Leica VT1000S Vibratome for soft tissue sectioning, and an Arcturus PixCell II laser capture microdissection system.
Scientific reproducibility is enhanced through scientific rigor and transparency. Scientific rigor is the strict application of the scientific method to ensure unbiased and well-controlled experimental design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. The Molecular Pathology Core is committed to supporting research excellence by adopting the following practices of scientific rigor.
- Purchase and maintain a variety of high-quality instruments from established vendors such that the best instrument is available for any given research analysis.
- The equipment is overseen by highly trained molecular pathology and histology experts and well maintained under service contracts or funds budgeted for annual preventive maintenance and repairs.
- The molecular pathology and histology experts are available for experimental design consults or troubleshooting.
FAQ
How large should tissue sample sizes be?
For routine processing, sections should be no more than 3mm thick. A section should not touch both the top and bottom of the tissue-processing cassette.
Acknowledgment
This facility was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIEHS Grant Number P42ES013660), Brown University's Division of Biology and Medicine and Provost's office.
Superfund Research Program: The Molecular Pathology Facility began as part of Brown University's Superfund Research Program (SRP) - Toxicant Exposures in Rhode Island: Past, Present, and Future. The Core's initial purpose was to examine molecular and morphological changes in cells, tissues, and organs following exposure to complex environmental contaminants. The core was opened to non-superfund users soon after to stimulate interdisciplinary collaborations in environmental toxicology and create critical mass in the development of novel methodologies.