The Department of Urology is active in both basic and clinical research. Five urology laboratories with core facilities provide Ph.D. supervision and ample workspace. In addition, laboratories in endocrinology, cell biology, radiology, and molecular genetics or mineral metabolism offer collaborative research opportunities.

Urology Labs

• Tumor biology lab
• Gene therapy lab
• Smooth muscle lab
• Pediatric urology lab
• Tissue repository

Common departmental research areas comprise an additional 1,500 square feet, including:

• Two walk-in cold rooms
• Computer room
• Radioactive room
• Histology and dark room
• Preparation room with ultra- and preparative centrifuges, autoclave, dishwasher, and ice machine

Clinical Research Facilities

• Renal stone disease clinic
• Prostrate disease clinic
• Oncology clinic
• Bladder dysfunction clinic

Clinical research nurses, computer specialists, and biostatistical experts are available to assist researchers.

Lab Equipment for Basic Science Research

Our laboratory facilities, with more than 10,380 square feet of academic and lab space and close to $1 million worth of equipment, include some of today’s top research tools:

• Thermal cyclers – Three Perkin-Elmer thermal cyclers (model 480, 9600, and 7200), one Bio-Rad iCycler, one Real Time iCycler, Eppendorf Mastercycler, and MJ DNA machine
• Microscopes – One Olympus dissecting microscope with video monitor/digital image capture, one Nikon DIAPHOT fluorescence invert microscope, one Nikon DIAPHOT fluorescence invert microscope OPTIPHOT microscope with computer-assisted image analysis (NIH IMAGE) system, and one Nikon E-100 computer-driven automatic microscope with MetaMorph image analysis system
• Tissue culture facilities – include five CO₂ incubators with three tissue culture hoods (Nuaire), Nikon TMS invert microscope, and Model ZBI Coulter Counter
• Centrifuges – Beckmen Optima XL-100K Ultracentrifuge and Avanti J-25 preparative centrifuges and rotors, four tabletop high-speed centrifuges, and numerous microcentrifuges
• Eagle Eye II still video system – (Stratagene) and digital camera gel documentation station (UVP)
• Five ultra-low freezers – (Harris, Sanyo) for tissue specimen preservation
• HPLC purification apparatus – for protein, DNA, and virus (Amersham Pharmacia)
• Grass Model 7E six-channel polygraph – with recorder, field stimulators, and isometric transducers for physiologic analysis
• Semi-automatic sequencing gel apparatus (Genomyx), and eight vertical sequencing gel electrophoresis chambers
• Numerous electrophoretic equipment – including two-dimension electrophoresis system (Bio-Rad), four electroblotting devices, and four gel dryers
• Other equipment – including microplate autoreader (BioTek), luminometer (Tropix), Econo chromatography system plus Rotofor preparative cell, Leica CM1850 cryostat and microtome, spectophotometer (Beckman DU640), scintillation counter (Beckman LS 3801), DNA crosslinking device (Stratagene), 2 speed-vac evaporators, lypholizer, POLYTRON homogenizers, and numerous incubation baths and environmental shakers