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ICTR Research Laboratory Core

The ICTR Research Laboratory Core is housed in the Asthma and Allergy Center on the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus.

Daisy Zhang (left) & Donna Boone (right) spinning blood samples in the refrigerated centrifuge.

To request this service, apply to use our Clinical Research Units (CRUs).

The ICTR Research Laboratory Core supports ICTR-approved protocols by providing facilities, technical experience, and training for non-routine blood, saliva, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), and urine biochemical analyses. The Core Laboratory is staffed by a director and three full-time technicians with the expertise to support investigators as they plan and implement their protocols.

The lab provides standardized sample handling that upholds high quality control by, for example, minimizing freeze/thaw cycles. The high volume of assays processed in the lab, supports reduced investigator cost through batch analysis of samples and direct manufacturer pricing. Quality control is maintained by including manufacturers’ controls as well as low, medium, and high value in-house controls in each assay. A listing of current assay costs, specimen volume requirements, and inter- and intra-assay coefficient of variance are available in iLab.

Sample Processing Laboratory

The Sample Processing Laboratory provides specialized services associated with the routine inpatient and outpatient needs of the Bayview CRU. The lab provides onsite sample processing and point-of-care testing, including Clinitek status for HCG and urine dipstick, Accu-chek for glucose, Hemocue for hemoglobin, and hemoccult for fecal occult blood. It is equipped with a Beckman refrigerator centrifuge that rotates at speeds ranging from 1 to 8,000 rpm.