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The Biopolymers Facility (BPF) was originally established
as an HHMI funded core facility. The facility's primary
mission was to provide DNA sequencing, oligonucleotide synthesis and mass spectrometry
services to the Department of Genetics and surrounding Howard Hughes Medical
Institute (HHMI) labs. The facility was directed by John Rush and administered
jointly by the HMS Department of
Genetics and HHMI in Chevy Chase, MD.
The lab was located on the third floor of the Warren Alpert Building in the
Medical School Quad.
In the summer of 2000 Robert Steen joined the facility as
the new Director. The labs primary mission as a technology services provider
continued but also began to undergo a long transformation that is still in
process today.
Among the major initial changes were the outsourcing of oligos to vendors and
the elimination of on premise synthesis. In addition, Affymetrix Gene Chip
and custom printed microarray services were added. DNA sequencing also underwent
major changes by the elimination of manual sample handling and the addition
of automated robotic sample preparation. The final major change was a complete
overhaul of our facility's computer infrastructure by eliminating a Macintosh
Web Server running FileMaker Pro and various applescripts. The replacement
architecture consists of Oracle databases and primarily Java based web pages
and scripts as well as significant file storage servers and on premises automated
daily tape back up services.
In the summer of 2002 HHMI began to make major policy changes
which ultimately resulted in the laboratory formally being closed on August
31, 2003 and brought to an end the BPF as an HHMI laboratory.
In September of 2003 the BPF and all of its employees became
employees of Harvard Medical School with an affiliation through the Department
of Genetics. Changes continue to happen within the facility, the most notable
of which was the move to the New Research Building on Avenue Louis Pasteur
where we now occupy approximately 2,000 square feet of lab space on the basement
level.We have added various analysis tools to our facility the
most notable of which are the GeneSpring/GeNet Enterprise level solution for
microarray
data storage and analysis as well as a host of other web based tools. We
also have an online payment system for all labs to view and download their
monthly
invoices and Harvard labs may make direct payments utilizing 33-digit billing
codes. We have added microsatellite genotyping services to the core,
offer a host of products through our new reagents and supplies services program
and
began participation in NorthEastern University's cooperative education program.
We will continue to make significant changes and improvements to our operations
as we move forward in an effort to serve our researchers to the best of our
abilities.
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