Summary The purpose of Core C is to provide, on request, molecular analysis services to the investigators in this Program Project. The services will include western immunoblot, quantitative (real-time) reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses, ELISAs, and 2D-gel proteomic preparation. In addition, other forms of macromolecular analysis will be developed as the need arises. The tissue to be analyzed will be from human and rodent brain and from nematode and cell cultures. All three Projects will utilize the services of Core C. A key aspect of the Core will be provision of expertise in time-consuming steps, such as antibody selection and optimization of PCR parameters. In addition, standardization across projects will help to achieve valid comparisons and improve efficiency. Results from analyses performed in this Core will be provided to Project Leaders primarily as raw data, including appropriate controls to document sample integrity and equipment function. Data for some analyses will be supplemented by routine extrapolation, and Core personnel will consult with Project Leaders in developing sophisticated interpretation of data and experimental parameters. Residual samples and processed specimens, such as tissue sections, will be returned to the respective Project Leader for archiving. Records of services performed and quantitative data from the Core will be archived in the Core's computer database, under protection of state-of-the-art firewalls and data backup. Achieving the goals of this Core will provide efficiency and standardization of methods for data acquisition and analyses across projects and will help ensure effective collection and dissemination of data for publication.