The Center for Precision Medicine at Wake Forest University Health Sciences (WFUHS) provides the central technology and analytical resources for comprehensive multi-omics analyses. The Center complemented the previously existing technologies in next-generation sequencing, the basis for state-of-the-art genomics and epigenomics studies, and expanded the instrumentation available for detailed proteomics characterization using mass spectrometry. In addition, the Center provides the computational and bioinformatics expertise to perform integrated multi-omics analyses, and develop novel approaches to characterize molecular changes at the cellular level over time.

As part of the North Carolina Diabetes Research Center (NCDRC), the Genomics and Proteomics (GPC) utilizes these state-of-the-art resources and expertise to pursue the following Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1: To provide state-of-the-art genomics analyses of biological samples (DNA and RNA) for NCDRC faculty members as part of the Genomics Unit, including DNA Seq, RNA-Seq and small RNA-Seq (for bulk samples and single cells), and metagenomics.

Specific Aim 2: To provide state-of-the-art quantitative epigenomics analyses of biological samples (global or targeted DNA methylation analysis) as part of the Epigenomics Unit.

Specific Aim 3: To provide state-of-the-art quantitative proteomics analyses of cells, tissues, plasma or serum, fecal samples, and subfractions, such as exosomes, mitochondria, and lipoprotein particles, using both stable isotope labeling and label-free quantitative analyses as part of the Proteomics Unit.

Specific Aim 4: To assist all NCDRC faculty and affiliate members in study design, sample collection and preparation, and computational and data analysis and bioinformatics support as part of the Bioinformatics and Statistics Resource. This assistance includes data QC, integrated pathway analyses, clustering of complex molecular changes, integration of resulting data with clinical information, and assistance in the interpretation of multi-omics results.

Core Organization and Leadership

The overall organizational structure of the NCDRC Genomics and Proteomics Core is shown in the Figure above. Dr. Michael Olivier and Dr. Laura Cox, Director and Associate Director of the GPC as well as the Wake Forest Center for Precision Medicine, will lead the Core. Both leaders have worked closely with Dr. McClain and co-leaders of the NCDRC since arriving in North Carolina two years ago, and the technologies have been used in a number of NCDRC-funded pilot projects over the past year.
Dr. Hector Guillen, Assistant Professor at the Center for Precision Medicine, will serve as Core Coordinator for the NCDRC GPC. Dr. Guillen was a member of the Wisconsin Center of Excellence in Genomics Science (with Dr. Olivier), and has a record of technology development and implementation in genomics, epigenomics, and proteomics. Dr. Guillen will work directly with investigators interested in using the Core resources to define the needs. Dr. Guillen will serve as the primary contact and coordinate communications with the
Genomics Unit (Dr. Greg Hawkins, Leader)
Epigenomics Unit (Dr. Tim Howard, Leader)
Proteomics Unit (Dr. Michael Olivier, Leader)
Dr. Guillen will also coordinate additional data analysis needs of individual investigators with Dr. Carl Langefeld, the leader of the Bioinformatics and Statistics Resource of the GPC.