Histopathology, Processing, and Banking Core

Overview of Services

HISTOPATHOLOGY, PROCESSING AND BANKING CORE

The core is accredited by the College of American Pathologists Biospecimen Accreditation Program (CAP BAP) and provides a variety of specimen processing and storage services for fixed, fresh, and frozen tissues.

Researchers are encouraged to include the core leadership in the planning stages of their proposal as the core can assist with creating a budget, review feasibility, and lend their biobanking expertise to ensure quality outcomes. The core can handle a wide variety of biospecimen types and maintains the flexibility needed to accommodate the unique needs of each project.

HISTOLOGY

The histopathology team provides basic services such as tissue processing and embedding, paraffin block or frozen tissue sectioning, and H&E staining. The core provides additional services such as direct and indirect immunohistochemical staining, selected histochemical stains, serial sectioning and RNase-free handling. Core personnel also have extensive experience in tissue microarray construction, and the lab is equipped with an MTA-1 manual Beecher TMA arrayer.

TEM

Routine TEM procedures such as fixation, embedding, and sectioning are available through the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Please contact David Hart ( David.Hart@nationwidechildrens.org) to request these services. The core utilizes a Hitachi H-7650 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) with two digital cameras. Magnification ranges from 0.7K up to 200K. The imaging software is AMtv542.

DIGITAL PATHOLOGY SLIDE SCANNING

The core offers whole slide scanning of stained and cover-slipped slides using Aperio GT450 scanners at either 20X or 40X magnification and electronic delivery using OneDrive,  DropBox, or a shared network drive. A Hamamatsu S60 scanner with florescence scanning capabilities will also be available to scan your slides later in 2026.

PROCESSING AND BANKING

The processing and banking team provides a full range of fresh and frozen specimen processing and biobanking services for researchers wishing to manage their biospecimen cohorts. Services include biospecimen tracking in a laboratory information management system (LIMS) for chain-of-custody tracking and reporting, blood separation, solid tissue portioning, body fluid and stool aliquoting, nucleic acid extraction and quality control. The core staff are IATA-certified and can transport specimens locally via courier, domestically, and internationally at the appropriate temperature (including on dry ice and in liquid nitrogen dry shippers).

The nucleic acid extraction laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Laboratory Accreditation Program and certified by CLIA for clinical testing. Other areas of the core are CAP-accredited under their Biorepository Accreditation Program.

In addition, the Biopathology Center and the Biospecimen Processing and Banking Core is an active member of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) and follows the highest standards to ensure the quality of specimens in the repository. Specimens are stored in vapor-phase liquid nitrogen, -80°C freezers, -20°C freezers, and 4°C refrigerators, with continuous temperature monitoring and emergency response protocols in place to prevent the loss of your valuable tissue samples.

RESEARCH FREEZER SERVICES

In addition to banking services offered by the Processing and Banking Core, researchers can store legacy specimen collections by rack or entire freezer with approval from AWRI leadership.

HOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CORE

The Research Resource Identifier (RRID) for the "Nationwide Children’s Hospital Abigail Wexner Research Institute Histopathology, Processing and Banking Core" is SCR_023260.

Leadership

Dr. Diana Thomas, MD, PhD | Medical Director, Histopathology Core | Pathology Operations Director, Biopathology Center |

Jay Bowen | Histopathology Core Director | Jay.Bowen@NationwideChildrens.org | 614-722-5302

Megan Welling | Processing and Banking Core Supervisor | Megan.Welling@nationwidechildrens.org | 614-355-3095

David Hart | Histopathology Core Supervisor | HistopathologyCore@nationwidechildrens.org | 

Location and hours of operation

 Links and Resources

1. http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/morphology-core

Contacts