Director: Noriyuki Kasahara, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Director: Christopher Logg
Address:
MacDonald Research Laboratories
625 Charles Young Drive South
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA, 90095
Telephone:
(310) 825-7112
E-mail:
General Inquiries: vectorcore@mednet.ucla.edu
Noriyuki Kasahara: nkasahara@mednet.ucla.edu
Christopher Logg: logg@ucla.edu
Description:
The objective of the UCLA Vector Core is to promote and facilitate basic and translational research by providing investigators with access to vector technologies that enable efficient gene transfer to mammalian cells in culture and in vivo. To this end, the Vector Core is currently:
- Serving as an educational and advisory resource for UCLA researchers who may have had limited experience with virus-derived gene transfer vector technologies, but who wish to utilize such technologies for efficient functional expression of genetic sequences of interest in mammalian cell culture and in animal models in vivo
- Providing, at minimal cost, various pre-made retroviral, lentiviral and adenoviral vector stocks expressing standard marker genes to utilize in preliminary experiments, as well as a library of available vectors expressing a variety of mammalian genes and corresponding inhibitory sequences
- Designing and producing custom viral vectors that contain a specific transgene of interest (including wild type and mutant cDNAs with or without epitope tags, dominant-negative expression constructs, antisense mRNAs, siRNAs, etc.) for individual researchers. A bank of lentiviral vectors including transfer vectors, vectors expressing marking genes and customized vectors is available.
The Vector Core assists investigators from academia and private companies.
Core Services:
Lentiviral, retroviral and adenoviral vector construction
Backbone vectors for cDNA expression
Small-scale virus production for gene transfer into cell lines
High-titer virus production for gene transfer into primary cells and in vivo
Consultation for vector modalities, troubleshooting and support documentation for grants