COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging

Extracellular Vesicle Core

About Vesicle Core

The COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging (SCA) at Rhode Island Hospital has developed the unique Extracellular Vesicle Core. The aims of the Extracellular Vesicle Core are to provide the research community at Rhode Island Hospital, and researchers outside of Rhode Island Hospital, with our expertise, infrastructure and state-of-the-art EV technologies to support research in the fields of extracellular vesicle research.

Extracellular Vesicle Core Services

The COBRE Extracellular Vesicle Core staff have been successfully providing services to the research community in the Rhode Island area with their expertise in vesicle harvest, isolation, characterization, and function analysis for more than ten years.

Contact the Extracellular Vesicle Core 

Sicheng Wen MD, PhD, Director
Email: sicheng [email protected]
Phone: 401-444-2480

CORO West Research Building
1 Hoppin Street
Suite 5.01
Providence, RI

Equipment

Ultracentrifuge

Ultracentrifuge

Ultracentrifugation is the classical method for extracellular vesicles isolation biofluid. The Extra Cellular Vesicle Core contains two Thermo Fisher WX80 ultracentrifuges with Sorvall AH-629 rotors.

Tangenx machine

TangenX

By using tangential flow filtration (TFF) technology, TangenX delivers rapid and highly efficient isolation of extracellular vesicles from large volumes of samples.

BD Biosciences LSRII Analyzer/Flow Cytometer

Nanosight Nanoparticle Counter

  • Examines size, size distribution and concentration.
  • Fluorescent adapter for extracellular vesicles (EVs) surface receptor studies.
  • Able to control for microvesicle number in experiments, and possibly identify subpopulations of EVs based on surface receptors
  • Particles are illuminated using a laser through a prism, and light scatter is captured on a CCD camera.
  •  Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) – direct and real-time visualization and analysis of nanoparticles in liquids, and calculate the size, size distribution and concentration of the particles. Brownian motion of nanoparticles is analyzed using the Stokes-Einstein equation.
ViiA PCR system

ViiA 7 real-time PCR system with twister robot

We identify extracellular vesicles MicroRNA profiling using the ABI TaqMan MicroRNA assay by ViiA 7 Real-Time PCR System. This system allows look up to 758 unique microRNA per sample, quickly and efficiently with as little as 1ng of input total RNA with pre-amplification for a full miRNA profile.

Facility Rates

Service/Instrument Rate
Initial scientific consultation of EV experimental design $50/working hour
Isolation of EV from cell culture medium and other biofluids by differential ultracentrifugation

Technical assistance/training: $50/hour

Without technical assistance: $25/hour

Isolation of EV from cell culture medium by tangential flow filtration (not including the TangenX Flat Sheet Cassettes) $50/liter medium
Preparation of vesicle-depleted FBS by differential ultracentrifugation $25/hour
EV Electron microscopy (EM) sample preparation $185/run (up to 4 samples)
Immunoblotting for vesicle markers (CD9, CD63 and CD81) $280/run
EV fluorescent labeling $100/ up to 6 samples labeling
Exosome RNA extraction (including QC by nanodrop) $150/ up to 10 samples
mRNA or microRNA expression in EVs by TaqMan Real-Time qPCR array (not including reagents)

Technical assistance/training: $50/hour

Without technical assistance: $25/hour

NanoSight Tracking Analysis (NanoSight 5000)

$65/hour

Other Services Available

In conjunction with the Flow Cytometry Core at the COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging, we also provide other services, including EV uptake analysis by flow cytometry.

The list of service fee is for academic and non-profit investigators. Projects from the COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging are offered core services free of charge, and COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging investigators receive a 20% discount. For information about rates for other investigators, please contact Dr. Sicheng Wen at 401-444-2480.

Learn more about the COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging