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 The Clapham laboratory occupies approximately 6000 sq. ft. of space in the Enders Pediatric Research building at Children's Hospital; approximately 2000 sq. ft. are devoted to electrophysiology, containing 8 complete patch clamp setups, and a brain slice recording station. Each setup is provided with a microscope, amplifiers, recording apparatus, computer and manipulators standard for these types of recordings. Another setup is a fura-2 calcium imaging system using an intensified CCD camera. A separate setup is an Olympus Fluoview 1000 inverted 1 and 2 photon confocal microscope adapted for UV laser uncaging. The laboratory also has a total internal relectance fluorescence microscope adapted for biological applications, and a separate Olympus upright Fluoview confocal microscope. A tissue culture room of approximately 500 sq. ft. contains 4 incubators, 3 laminar flow hoods, and microscopes. Another 3000 sq. ft. of space is devoted to protein chemistry and molecular biology. A cold room, two FPLCs, ultracentrifuges, phosphoimager, etc. are all within this laboratory space. Postdoctoral fellows and students have adequate desk and computer space in the laboratory.
As part of the Longwood Medical Area complex (Harvard Medical School, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospitals, Harvard School of Public Health, and Joslin Diabetes Foundation), the laboratory has access to substantial core and shared use facilities. The Children's Hospital has core laboratories facilities for oligonucleotides synthesis, peptide and DNA sequencing, transgenic facilities, and procurement of pathological tissues. There are SEM, EM, mass spectrometry and NMR facilities available. The laboratory is also part of the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and has access to its machine shop and other core facilities.
Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
The Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology includes the laboratories of Drs. David Clapham, Mark Keating, and Bill Pu. It occupies more than 18,000 sq. ft. of renovated and newly constructed space on the 12th and 13th floor of the Enders Research Building including approximately 120 full bench spaces and containing centrally organized core facilities. Dedicated equipment supports state-of-the-art work using techniques in four major areas of science; molecular biology, protein biochemistry, microscopy and imaging, and basic electrophysiology. The molecular biology facilities include support for oligonucleotide synthesis, DNA sequencing, gel documentation, and phosphoimaging in the biopolymer core facility. Other standard molecular biology techniques are well-supported. Ongoing techniques include the use of the yeast two-hybrid system, transgenic mice, cDNA cloning, and site-directed mutagenesis. Basic protein biochemistry is also a major component of work on the 13th floor. FPLC, cold rooms, and electrophoresis apparatus are used in these endeavors.
The department's program of basic cardiovascular research has been involved principally with the investigation of signal transduction mechanisms, developmental biology, regeneration, and the study of arrhythmias. The laboratory is built around a core of excellent young investigators who are committed to pursuing rigorous approaches in basic science.
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