# Core 2: Biospecimen Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $247,382

## Abstract

BIOSPECIMEN CORE: PROJECT SUMMARY
The Biospecimen Core (Core 2) is the cornerstone of all Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer (YSPORE) activities. It
addresses the broad melanoma patient specimen needs of all the projects that are not met by current shared
facilities at Yale. In addition to collecting, storing and distributing a wide range of specimens and reagents, the
core performs quality assurance testing and a wide range of molecular analyses of specimens. More
specifically, the core: a) collects a large repertoire of specimens for translational and preclinical studies in
melanoma, including melanocytic lesions, melanoma tumors and cells, normal skin, serum, and circulating
lymphocytes; b) ensures high quality control, proper long-term storage, detailed annotation, and timely
distribution of specimens to YSPORE investigators; c) establishes and maintains a central database of
essential pathological, clinical, epidemiological, and follow-up information and basic research data generated
by the YSPORE projects that is integrated with the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core; d) provides special
services such as the analysis of specimens from clinical trials, mutations, chromatin modification, and
collection of TIL (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes); e) maintains and distributes validated reagents (antibodies,
oligonucleotides for PCR, DNA, RNA, plasmids, cell extracts) needed for molecular analyses of tumors by
different YSPORE investigators; f) establishes links with shared facilities at Yale and similar resources in other
institutions, including other SPOREs; g) distributes samples to collaborating investigators outside of Yale; and
h) provides specimens for larger NCI objectives, such as melanoma specimens, peripheral blood lymphocytes,
and annotated clinical data for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The core interacts extensively with
investigators in each project, the Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, the Clinical Trial Office, and Yale
Cancer Center shared resource cores such as Yale Pathology Tissue Services and Yale Center for Genome
Analysis. The services of the Biospecimen Resource Core enhance the efficient operation of the translational
studies by YSPORE investigators in a cost-effective manner, and expedite the application of discoveries from
the bench to clinical practice, and clinical results to basic research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10468762
- **Project number:** 5P50CA121974-15
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** RUTH HALABAN
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $247,382
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-06-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10468762

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10468762, Core 2: Biospecimen Core (5P50CA121974-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10468762. Licensed CC0.

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