Biorepository and Pathology

Through the Biorepository and Pathology Core we provide a host of pathology related services to facilitate basic, translational, and clinical research. Our mission as a biorepository is to build a resource of diseased and normal tissues and associated biospecimens available for new and ongoing studies across the research community.

The Biorepository currently supports functions for tissue/body fluid procurement, storage, and tracking from consented and de-identified collections. Pathologists responsible for procurement can be contacted for consultation to determine investigator requirements for human specimens in translational research, and then arrange procurement as feasible.

Our Core provides basic histology services including the capability to process, embed, and section fixed and frozen tissues (both animal and human) for the Mount Sinai Health System and the external academic and biopharmaceutical community. Other services include histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, laser capture microdissection, as well as a variety of special stains for routine light microscopic evaluation. In addition, we offer full digital scanning capability with quantitative and qualitative image analysis service (HALO AI). We also support DNA/RNA/miRNA extraction from fluids and tissue specimens (both fixed and frozen) for downstream next generation sequencing.

As part of the Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, one of the largest Pathology departments in the country—the Biorepository has access to thousands of unique specimens and rare diagnoses. We provide expert consultation and curation of samples to accommodate your needs and research goals. Users interested in accessing tissue samples or biospecimens should contact Rachel Brody, MD, PhD at Rachel.brody@mountsinai.org.

Our research offerings include:

  • All organ systems
  • Fixed, frozen, fresh, and other forms of preserved tissue (for RNA, DNA, etc.)
  • Blood and liquid specimens available
  • Malignant and non-malignant diagnoses
  • Tumor, Normal, and Tumor-Normal pairs
  • Access to multiple, linked databases (coming soon)

In order to sustain the Biorepository for current and future investigators, it is critically important that you acknowledge the Biorepository and Pathology CoRE  as well as the clinical faculty in all publications, grants, and awards that include any data or services you have derived from our facility. This is a mandatory requirement for funding. The recommended language for acknowledgement is: "This research was conducted with the support of the Biorepository and Pathology CoRE at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  Additionally, Dr. (name), Dr. (name), and Dr. (name) were involved in the acquisition and evaluation of tissue that was used in these studies."

The Biorepository and Pathology CoRE has been providing services to the Mount Sinai Health System research community as well as external investigators since 2006, facilitating high quality translational research, multiple collaborative studies, and numerous peer-reviewed publications.

Please let us know whenever any publication grant has evolved as a result of involving any of the services of the Biorepository & Pathology CoRE.