Business Office

The Department of Genetics Business Office staff of eight serves all members of the department. As such, it is responsible for providing a full set of services including purchasing, invoice processing, budget management, human resource support, scheduling, safety related matters and other responsibilities. Our Main Office, Room 330, is located on the 3rd floor of the New Research Building adjacent to the elevator lobby. Typical hours are 8 AM to 5 PM. We can be reached by phone at 617-432-7666.

Administrative Organization

Computer Facility

The Computer Facility is located in Room 933 of the New Research Building.

The Computer Facility provides computer support for the Department of Genetics. The Computer Facility utilizes and supports Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems on a wide variety of hardware. The services provided include installation and maintenance of both desktop and lab computers. Your IT staff can additionally assist with support of any HMS IT Provided services; including of recovery of Genetics backup data for up to 60 days.

For backups older than 60 days, the HMS IT Research IT Solutions group manages our Supplemental Backup and Recovery Service.

You can contact the Computer Facilty at:

Phone: 617-432-3891
Email: support@genetics.med.harvard.edu

Drosophila RNAi Screening Center

The Drosophila RNAi Screening Center (DRSC) facilitates genome-wide and related cell-based RNAi screening in Drosophila for researchers from around the world. Since its beginning in 2003, the DRSC has successfully guided HMS and visiting screeners through the process, including help with assay development and optimization, data and image analysis, and planning of follow-up assays. The DRSC provides screeners with the equipment and guidance needed for RNAi screening and a full-genome library of dsRNAs for RNAi knockdown or one of several specialized functional sub-libraries. Screens performed at the DRSC have resulted in an impressive number of publications on a wide range of topics in high-profile journals.

At the DRSC, our first priorities are RNAi reagent production and DRSC screens. However, we work hard to make instruments available for other projects by Genetics department members on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the DRSC Director if you are interested to access any of the following pieces of equipment.

Assay Readouts:

Perkin Elmer Evotec Opera: This instrument supports automated confocal fluorescence imaging in 96-well or 384-well plates. We have 20x 40x and 60x water immersion lenses and four lasers. Training and hourly usage fees apply.

LiCor Aerius. This instrument supports automated plate-reading, in particular ‘in-cell Westerns’ or other dual-label approaches, and fluorescence-labeled gel visualization. Secondary antibodies or dyes in the far-red range only.

Molecular Devices Paradigm. This is a standard plate-reader (fluorimeter/luminometer) for detection of luciferase and some fluorescence outputs at the whole plate-well level.

Liquid and Tube Handling:

FluidX Xtp-1152 Tube Sorter for 2D barcode labeled tubes. This instrument does and automated 2D barcode scan and cherry-picks or re-arrays 2D tubes in 96-well plate format racks. Great for large bacterial glycerol stock collections.

Agilent Velocity11 Bravo liquid handling robot with stacker and plate sealer. We use this instrument a lot so there is limited availability. It can do 96-to96 and 96-to-384 liquid handling projects and some additional liquid handling protocols. Other instruments for liquid addition and aspiration. We also have a WellMate for 8-channel liquid addition, such for adding media or other liquids to 96- or 384-well plates; a 384-well format vacuum aspirator; and 12-channel aspiration wands.

HMS Biopolymers Facility

The HMS BioPolymers Facility (BPF) is a non-profit service center that offers cutting-edge technologies at little cost with a fast turnaround time. Many services are offered on a variety of platforms. The BPF also includes a stockroom program that makes popular products available at a discount with no shipping costs. The Biopolymers Facility is located in NRB 0087-0088.

MicRoN

The Microscopy Resources On the North Quad (MicRoN) facility is a light microscopy core established by the Departments of Genetics, Immunology and Microbiology, and it is open to all HMS researchers, including Affiliated hospitals. MicRoN is a non-traditional decentralized or "floating" microscopy core. The 14 microscopes that currently make up the core are embedded within the Departments of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, housed in five microscope rooms on five floors of NRB and HIM. We find that this model generates a greater interaction among trainees from the three departments and encourages a more collaborative environment. We are proud of working with the Departments of Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology and would love hearing from you!

Research Operations

The Research Operations Manager (ROM) is responsible for providing a full set of services including research support, building maintenance, shared equipment support, safety issues, emergency contact, key requests, after-hours access requests, and new equipment tagging. The ROM is located in the Genetics Business Office on the 3rd floor. The ROM can be reached by phone at 617-432-7077 or email yick-bun_chan@hms.harvard.edu.