Core Facilities

Lipid and Lipoproteins Lab

X-ray Crystallography Facility

RPA/RNA/In Situ Hybridization Research Core

Biomarker Discovery Core Facility

Small Animal MRI Core Facility

Facility Summary
OMRF’s Lipid and Lipoprotein Laboratory (“L&LP Lab”) is headed by Dr. Petar Alaupovic, a world-renowned expert in this field. The L&LP Lab studies the chemical, metabolic and pathophysiologic properties of human plasma lipoproteins.

Services Offered
OMRF’s L&LP Lab is involved in (1) clinical trials to study the relative atherogenicity of certain lipoprotein subclasses and (2) determining the effect of dietary and pharmacologic interventions on individual lipoprotein subclasses. We have the capability to analyze a wide rage of lipoproteins and provide services to several research and industry collaborators/clients. Those services include:

1. Lipid Analysis (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL/non-HDL/VLDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol calculated by Friedewald formula)

2. Analysis of Lipoprotein (a) and Apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-I, C-II, C-III, D and E

3. Analysis of Apolipoprotein C-III in whole plasma and heparin-Mn++ supernatant(apo-III-HS) and precipitate (apoC-III-HP)

4. Separation and quantification of Lp-A-I and Lp-A-I:A-II particles (includes apoA-I measurement in whole plasma) by electro-immunoassay

5. Quantification of LpB, LpB:E and LpBcomplex (LpB:C, LpB:C:E and LpA-II:B:C:D:E) particles

6. Fractionation and isolation of discrete apoB containing lipoprotein particles by sequential immuno-affinity chromatography and quantification by sequential immuno-precipitation

7. Analysis of Lp(X) (especially for liver diseases)

8. Quantification of neutral lipids (free cholesterol and molecular forms of cholesterol esters and triglycerides) by gas chromatography

9. Isolation of lipids based on density properties (Density gradient ultracentrifugation of whole plasma into VLDL+ IDL, HDL+VHDL, LDL-1, LDL-2 and LDL-3

10. Measurement of oxidative stress using a novel method by D.M. Lee (Artherosclerosis 146:221-225,1999)

11. Analysis of Phospholipids

Advantages
Ability to analyze a wide range of lipids: We can efficiently and accurately identify and analyze a wide range of lipid, apolipoprotein, and apo-A & apo-B containing lipoprotein subclasses. Our facility is unique in its ability to quantify 5 major apo-B containing lipoprotein subclasses characterized by specific metabolic, functional, and clinically relevant atherogenic properties.

Personnel/Expertise: With more than 300 publications to his credit, which have been referenced multiple times by many researchers in the field, Dr. Petar Alaupovic of OMRF has established himself as one of the authorities in the field of lipid and lipoprotein research. The OMRF L&LP Lab under his supervision is a state-of-the art facility with the best equipment and highly trained personnel.

Experience with industry partnerships: Over the years, the L&LP Lab has actively and successfully collaborated with many major pharmaceutical and biotech companies (including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Unilever, Merck, etc.), providing them with highest quality services at competitive prices.