HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? Call 1-800-TRY-CHOP
Getting Started with Pathology
Working with us is easy. Here are the steps to get started:
Step 01
Register within iLab.
Step 02
For external (Non-CHOP/UPENN) users only: Fill out and submit the research agreement.
Step 03
Fill out and submit the Specimen Submission Form. Please contact us if you would like to set up a consultation meeting to review your project in more detail before submitting samples to the Core lab.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you’re dropping off specimens for processing, please arrive before 4 p.m. to allow enough time to log them in and perform any labeling, grossing, etc.
Please contact us to schedule a time for a training session before planning to use our imaging scope. During the training session, we will review how to use the online calendar to schedule time on the scope, along with how to properly use our scope, camera, and imaging software.
If you want to reserve a time, please contact us. We will leave a note on the instrument in case someone comes by ahead of you. Otherwise, they’re available on a first-come, first-served basis. We don’t use online calendars for these instruments. Access to these instruments is a free service, so please be considerate to others: Bring your own consumables, and clean up after yourself.
Yes, please contact us to schedule a time for training in the Core. We charge $60/hour for technical time/training.
We process samples in the order that they are received. Our current average turnaround time is posted on the red banner on our home page, but feel free to ask as it can vary depending on the particular service, number of samples, complexity, etc. We offer a “RUSH” charge for twice the standard rate that will bump your samples to the front of the line. Most RUSH jobs can be completed within one to three days, but please ask for confirmation. Your job could take longer if it requires complex processing, ordering reagents, working up new protocols, etc. Please note that some complex jobs we cannot process as a “RUSH.”
Yes, please contact us first so that we can determine what software will be the best choice for your needs. We can then schedule a training session to show you how to create and modify macros and apply them to your images.
We are not a tissue bank and do not have approval to distribute human or animal tissue to investigators.
Please do not rely on us to supply reagents. While we are happy to help out and share reagents when you run out or are in a jam, we’re not a stockroom. Most of the antibodies on our list are purchased by individual investigators. We cannot distribute them or use them for your project without permission from the PI who purchased them.
In general, it’s best to contact us to schedule a consultation for new antibody workups. We will need at minimum the antibody spec sheet (or associated information if custom), along with the control tissue type/species that you would like to use for the initial workup run.
We make custom tissue microarrays (TMAs) for investigators. If you are interested in using an array, we will contact the investigator we made the array with to obtain permission. The TMAs are a limited resource, so it will help to have a brief proposal for what information you’re trying to get out of the array. It’s critical to have a well-validated antibody or probe.
You’ll need a source of tissue, a pathologist to help annotate the source tissue as well as validate and score the array, and antibodies or probes for your markers of interest. Please contact us to schedule a consultation.