Clinical Research Laboratory
The mission of the Clinical Research Laboratory is to enhance the research, service and teaching activities of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the College of Pharmacy by providing expertise in the areas of clinical pharmacokinetics, clinical pharmacodynamics, pharmaceutical stability testing, pharmacogenetics, and biopharmaceutical analysis. The laboratory is housed in a 2500 square foot facility in the College of Pharmacy and contains the necessary analytical, molecular biology, and computer equipment needed to conduct research in the above areas. Analytical work in the Clinical Research Laboratory adheres to all FDA GLP policies and procedures.
The laboratory has analytical facilities to perform studies requiring high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, fluorescence polarization immunoassay (Abbott TDx) and radioimmunoassay. Liquid chromatographic equipment includes three automated HPLC systems and several manually operated systems. Analytical equipment in the laboratory interfaces to two personal-computer based laboratory automation systems (Water Millenium Systems). Two of the automated HPLC systems consist of autoinjectors (Waters WISP 712), gradient solvent deliver systems (Waters M510 or M600E), column ovens, and UV-VIS detectors (Waters M486). The third automated system is a Waters LCM-1. Additional HPLC equipment includes two fluorescence detectors (Kratos FS980), photo-diode array detector (Waters PDA), two UV-VIS variable wavelength detectors (Waters M490), and an electrochemical detector (ESA Coulochem II). The gas chromatograph is a Hewlett-Packard Model 5880 equipped with flame ionization, electron capture, and nitrogen phosphorous detectors. Other analyticalequipment available in the Clinical Research Laboratory for the conduct of this research includes a Spectra/Por Equilibrium Dialyzer with 1.0, 0.5 and 0.1 ml dialysis cells and a lead analyzer (ESA Model 3010B).
The Clinical Research Laboratory also houses molecular biology equipment, including a PCR machine, electrophoresis equipment, and gel-imaging equipment to meet the needs of researchers engaged in pharmacogenetic research.
The CRL also has a 5 bed research unit available for use by observational studies, outpatient visits associated with clinical drug trials, and pharmacokinetic studies not requiring overnight confinement. This research unit is staffed by a full-time registered nurse.