Services
Consultation and design
Our team has been constructing ngTMAs for nearly 10 years. We know that researchers have a vision for their project, which is unique. We want to understand the research question, tailor and design our tissue microarrays together with every client to ensure they get the maximum value from each TMA block. We understand the importance of this: after all, we are researchers too!
Histology
We process tissues and make sections for many downstream applications such as conventional staining, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation, RNA and DNA extraction, laser capture microdissection and MALDI and of course the preparation and cutting of our TMAs.
Tissue visualization
Our lab establishes a large number of antibodies per year in human and animal tissue. We validate all new antibodies (commercial and homemade) in positive and negative cell lines. Our catalog now exceeds 700 antibodies. We perform single and double immunostaining, single and double mRNA in situ hybridisation (RNAScope®), TUNEL, Multiplex immunofluorescence and set up stainings on chamber slides for cell cultures.
Tissue Bank Bern (TBB)
The Tissue Bank Bern (TBB) manages samples and patient information from the Inselspital and additional clinics in the surroundings of the Institute of Pathology Bern according to the Human Research Act (Humanforschungsgesetz, HFG) and international guidelines. We also ensure high quality tissue samples for research purposes throughout their collection, processing, storage, and distribution.
Our ngTMA® Archive
Since 2012, our lab has constructed more than 750 ngTMA blocks from different tissue types for studies related to precision medicine, tumor heterogeneity, rare diseases, cell lines and animal models and establishment of new tissue visualization techniques. We have collected images from more than 1 million tissue spots, corresponding to several thousand patients with annotated clinicopathological data.
Scanning
We offer slide scanning to researchers interested in archiving slides, performing digital image analysis, preparing next-generation Tissue Microarrays (ngTMA®), or wishing to publish high-quality images. Scans can be uploaded to an Image Management Software accessible to external collaborators.
Digital image analysis (DIA)
Our team performs DIA on whole slide images and tissue microarrays using in-house tools (Scorenado) and open source software (QuPath). Examples include tumor-lymphocyte proximity studies, quantification of breast cancer biomarker panels, and annotation of whole slide images or tissue microarray spots. Our computational pathology team uses machine-learning and deep learning to answer clinically relevant questions with direct implications for diagnostic routine.
COMPATH
Our platform has partnered with the Institute of Animal Pathology, University of Bern to create a service for comparative pathology. Together, we can help support research on animal models, including necropsy, histopathological evaluation of tissues and all services listed above, including tissue visualization methods and of course, ngTMA®.