With the hurricane affecting thousands of researchers across the Greater New York area, losing valuable enzymes, constructs, and experimental mice, the need for greater access to resources has become a concern. Core facilities, which provide specialist scientific services ranging from DNA sequencing to transgenic mouse development, have accordingly increased access to their shared resources and equipment for external use by those researchers affected.
Core facilities at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY have already offered their support for the initiative. “Being in Upstate New York, we at Roswell Park Cancer Institute would like to convey our best wishes to our fellow New Yorkers and everyone that has been affected by the devastation which Hurricane Sandy imparted onto the East Coast of the USA,” said Aimee Stablewski, Director of the Gene Targeting and Transgenic Facility. "In light of this tragedy, we would like to offer to help researchers attain their goals by providing services from our Gene Targeting and Transgenic Core Resource."
Other core facilities from California to North Carolina have offered their support in helping those researchers affected as well.
“We stand ready to assist our colleagues devastated by this horrendous storm and help them to recover and preserve the scientific value of their resources,” said Dr. Kent Lloyd, Director of the UC Davis Mouse Biology Program.
Dale Cowley, Director of the University of North Carolina Animal Models Core also offered his support. “We were saddened to hear of the loss of research animal models and other critical research reagents in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,” said Dr. Cowley. “As our facility offers a full range of reproductive services, including recovery of lines from cryopreserved embryos, we would be happy to provide our services to assist researchers in the New York City area to recover or re-create critical models for their research programs.”
Science Exchange, the online marketplace for scientific services, will be helping these core facilities to promote their services to researchers in need. The company provides an online platform for researchers to request quotes and order services from over 300 institutions, and will be waiving all of its fees to researchers affected by the hurricane through the end of the year.
“We felt that, in this time of need, many researchers would be able to benefit from the expertise of the facilities listed on the Science Exchange network,” said Dr. Elizabeth Iorns, co-founder and CEO of Science Exchange. “Core facilities and CROs provide access to expert specialist services in a timely and efficient manner, and could be critical to helping scientists recover their work.”