The Advanced Technology Program

The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) laboratories at NCI-Frederick are operated by SAIC Frederick, Inc. and were established to provide NCI and other NIH laboratories and initiatives with access to leading-edge technologies and specialized expertise through a tightly integrated, highly effective approach to the study of complex biological problems.

At the forefront of their respective fields, the ATP laboratories continuously meet challenges with new technologies and make significant contributions to collaborative research projects with NIH scientists and extramural collaborators. A wide range of cutting-edge technologies can be easily accessed to assist in basic scientific discovery projects and to accelerate the translation of basic research discoveries into new treatments for patients with cancer. Each ATP laboratory devotes a substantial portion of its efforts to technology development, resulting in advanced methods and approaches designed for maximum impact on discovery and translational research.

Research Collaborations

The resources available to you include the opportunity to partner with the biomedical research scientists on our staff. They are engaged daily in everything from routine laboratory processes to complex experimental design and interpretation of results. Projects frequently flow across the range of expertise within the ATP. Our scientists have already enabled many investigators to extend their inquiries to depths and in directions perhaps otherwise inaccessible.

Laboratories And Expertise

The Laboratory of Proteomics and Analytical Technologies (LPAT) has a wide range of technologies and expertise for characterizing both single proteins and multiple proteins present within complex mixtures, as well as for cell profiling using custom separation techniques and mass spectroscopy technologies. The LPAT also has small-molecule NMR capabilities. Contact: Tim Veenstra, veenstrat@mail.nih.gov

The Protein Chemistry Laboratory (PCL) has expertise in macromolecular interactions and experience with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Also available are fluorescence spectroscopy, high-sensitivity protein identification (using both Edman sequencing and mass spectrometry), HPLC purification, and quality control of proteins and oligonucleotides. Contact: Robert Fisher, fisher@ncifcrf.gov

The Protein Expression Laboratory (PEL) develops and adopts innovative gene cloning, cell culture, protein expression, and protein purification technologies to deliver cells, clones, and recombinant proteins for a broad range of applications. Additionally, the PEL provides lentiand adenoviral vectors, custom, pathogen detection assays, and Lumenix and ELISA assays. Contact: Jim Hartley, hartley@ncifcrf.gov

The Laboratory of Molecular Technology (LMT) is an integrated molecular biology laboratory focusing on high-throughput gene discovery and analysis, including advanced sequencing, genetics and genomics technologies, gene expression (microarrays and qPCR), and molecular CLIA diagnostics. Contact: Daniel Soppet, soppetdr@mail.nih.gov

The Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory (OMAL) provides state-of-the-art confocal microscopy for imaging living cells. The OMAL also offers FRAP, FRET and two photon microscopy techniques, as well as a full suite of quantitative image analysis capabilities. Contact: Stephen Lockett, slockett@ncifcrf.gov

The Electron Microscopy Laboratory (EML) provides ultrastructural analysis of cells, bacteria, nanoparticles, and viruses using state-of-the-art electron microscopes. The EML has microscopes capable of TEM, SEM, STEM, X-ray energy dispersed element analysis, cryo-TEM, and 3D tomography. Contact: Kunio Nagashima, nagashim@mail.ncifcrf.gov

The Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) provides preclinical efficacy and toxicity testing of nanotech cancer therapeutics and diagnostics to accelerate the development and commercialization of nanoscale particles and devices for clinical applications. The NCL has a wide range of physicochemical, in vitro, and in vivo assays for characterizing nanoparticles. Contact: Scott McNeil, ncl@mail.nih.gov

The Advanced Biomedical Computing Center (ABCC) provides high-performance computing support to biological researchers in all areas of bioinformatics, including proteomics and genomics. The ABCC also assists in molecular modeling, imaging, data-intensive classification and knowledge discovery, structural biology, and nanotechnology modeling and simulation. Contact: Jack Collins, collinja@mail.nih.gov