Welcome to the Microsurgery and Preclinical Research Core
at Northwestern University
Welcome to the website of the Comprehensive Transplant Center Microsurgery and Preclinical Research Core (CTCMPRC)!
The CTCMC offers unique expertise and resources for all investigators who need complex small animal surgical models for mechanistic studies and therapeutic drug development. The Core has established a long track record of outstanding microsurgical services and collaborative interactions with numerous investigators from the Northwestern research community, external academic centers, as well as biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
The core mission is to provide cutting-edge microsurgery services for advancing basic and preclinical animal research. We offer a variety of preclinical small animal surgical models and perioperative diagnostic tests (e.g. blood gas/chemistry assays) for in vivo mechanistic studies and drug discovery.
The techniques needed to perform small animal microsurgical procedures, especially vascular surgeries such as vascularized organ transplantation in mice, require talented microsurgeons, as well as specific dedicated equipment and instruments. The proficiency in experimental microsurgery is essential and profoundly affects consistency and reproducibility of research results. To ensure proficiency, each member of our microsurgery team must go through lengthy microsurgical trainings and practices before providing microsurgical services. With specialized skills and resources, we are able to tailor a research model to investigators’ specific needs and deliver study-ready animals upon request. We are the only provider of such services at Northwestern University, including the North Campus. In this website, we intend to provide all information regarding the Core’s services.
