Facilities
Our research facilities consist of two
interdependent laboratories. The first contains several
service components that are needed to support the research activities
in the second or main laboratory area. These components
include a walk-in warm room/ incubator, a walk-in cold room/ refrigerator,
a water purification system, a laboratory scale autoclave, equipment
for processing glassware, and an instrument room. The instrument
room contains such large pieces of laboratory equipment as:
an ultracentrifuge, a superspeed centrifuge, ultracold freezers,
refrigerators, a lyophilizer (freeze-drying apparatus), and liquid
scintillation counters (radioactivity monitors). In addition,
this laboratory contains a fully equipped tissue culture facility.
The second laboratory contains large areas
of bench space, cabinets, and storage shelves. This work
area contains all the bench-top (smaller) pieces of laboratory
equipment, such as balances, electrophoresis apparatus, thermal
cyclers (for polymerase chain reactions), micro centrifuges, water
baths, etc. A few frequently used large pieces of equipment,
such as an ice maker, a second high speed centrifuge, a second
ultracold freezer, a conventional refrigerator, etc. are housed
here. Attached to the second laboratory is a darkroom with
equipment for auto radiography processing, fluorescent photography
and photocopying.
Another area in this laboratory has been
designed as a sterile room for work requiring critical aseptic
technique. Finally, office space for several investigators
is also provided in this laboratory. Altogether, this facility
totals more than 2,200 square feet of space.
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
Several exciting research projects are ongoing in our research facility. These include:
-Investigation of virulence factors of Enterococcus faecalis.
-Isolation of a bacterial virus induced from lysogenic strains of
Enterococcus faecalis recovered from infected root canals.
-Characterization of the genome of the Enterococcus faecalis bacteriophage.
-Testing the ability of lasers to disinfect dentin.
-Evaluation of the mechanical properties and machining capabilities of a new
series of Endodontic files.
-Screening of patient sera for the presence of antibodies to bacteriophage ØAa.
-Comparison of gene expression in lysogenic and nonlysogenic strains of
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.
-Investigation of the mechanism of control of lysogeny in Actinobacillus
actinomycetemcomitans
-Investigation of the mechanism of fibroblast-mediated phage induction in
lysogenic strains of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
-Investigation of the potential application of a Dental Fluoroscopic imaging system.
-Comparison between medical fluoroscopy and intraoral radiography in
terms of dose rate.
-Evaluation of the efficacy of an improved cervical plexus intraoral anesthetic
technique.
-Effect of vehicle on the antibacterial activity of an iodine-containing calcium hydroxide
intracanal medication
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