Submitting samples to HSR

General requirements before core submissions

The Histopathology Shared Resource is a technical-only core that generates requested materials using the parameters set by the researcher. Our staff is available to answer histology related questions but the experimental design and research must be made by the researcher.

Before submitting samples to the core, the core will require the following:

  1. An online request form must be submitted before HSR can begin any work.
  2. Estimates are generated only upon direct email request to the Histopathology Shared Resource. 
    1. If an estimate is needed for financial pre-approval, please contact our core at hsr@ohsu.edu to begin the process or for any additional questions.
    2. If an estimate exceeds $1K, the core will require PI financial approval before proceeding with the request.
  3. If materials are needed for a grant or paper deadline, please coordinate with the Core staff members before sample submission.
    1. HSR will review the request and determine if the deadline is within HSR's current bandwidth.
  4. If specimens require extensive or special sectioning and/or orientation, please coordinate with the Core staff members before sample submission.
    1. HSR will review the request and determine if the special instructions are feasible.
    2. Please note that special/complex and/or non-standard requests may incur additional charges and increase turnaround time.
  5. Appointment scheduling for incoming and outgoing specimen(s) is required.
  6. Please consider acknowledging the use of the core in talks, posters, and publications which include data generated in the core lab.
    1. The use of data generated in an OHSU core facility in a grant application, progress report or publication contains the implicit understanding that the PI or authors will acknowledge the use of the OHSU core facility.

Researchers submitting specimens for paraffin processing are responsible for:

  • Grossing and/or trimming tissue before submitting to the core.
    • Researchers are familiar with the region/area of interest that they are attempting to capture.
    • The team can help discuss histology techniques in an attempt to capture the region/area of interest.
    • The thickness between 0.2 and 0.5 cm (approximately the size of a nickel) is a good guide to use when trimming samples.
      • Tissue should be Large specimens in particular may not process well due to the inadequate paraffin penetrating the tissue during processing.
  • Tissue fixation then transfer to 70% ethanol for paraffin processing their samples.
    • HSR will only accept fixed samples in 70% ethanol as our core does not handle any fixatives.
  • Submitting specimens in a secondary container such as a Ziploc bag. 
    • A secondary container helps keep the 70% ethanol in the bag in case there is any leakage during transport.
  • Using a xylene and ethanol solvent resistant pen/marker or a #2 pencil for sample ID on containers, histology cassettes or slides for staining.
    • Failure to use appropriate ethanol and xylene resistant pens for labeling will result in the sample ID's coming off during paraffin processing.
    • HSR can generate pre-labeled cassettes using our Tissue-Tek SmartWrite Cassette thermal Printer.

Researchers submitting frozen specimens are responsible for:

  • Grossing and/or trimming tissue before submitting to the core.
    • Researchers are familiar with the region/area of interest that they are attempting to capture.
    • The team can help discuss cryosectioning techniques in an attempt to capture the region/area of interest.
  • Either freezing tissue for the core to embed in OCT or submit tissue already embedded in OCT. 
    • HSR does not have the ability to flash freeze samples.
  • Schedule an appointment with HSR staff to drop off and pick-up samples.
    • Because the specimens are temperature sensitive, meeting with HSR staff in person is required for transferring specimens.
    • Please bring dry ice when dropping off or picking up specimens. HSR does not carry dry ice in stock.
  • Discussing the tissue orientation with the HSR team.
    • Please inform the team of the tissue orientation when submitting the samples to the core. If the tissue is in OCT, the orientation of the tissue is not visible. 

Researchers submitting specimens for Immunohistochemistry staining are responsible for:

  • Discussing the details of the request with the core before submitting samples and reagents.
    • Researchers must contact and discuss their project with the Immunohistochemistry and Special Stains Contact (listed below) before any work can be performed.
    • This is especially needed for antibodies that have not been optimized by the Core (list of optimized antibodies is posted on the HSR website).
  • The researcher must provide the antibody/antibodies.
    • HSR does not have any antibodies in stock for researcher use.
    • The researcher can provide the antibody with the samples submitted or HSR can purchase the antibody for the researcher and then will bill the researcher for the same cost once the request has been completed. This is listed as a "Reagent Charge" in iLab.
  • The turnaround time for IHC is minimum 14 business days.
    • If the request requires the work-up of an antibody, also known as optimization, may cause delays in turnaround time.
  • Selecting antibody and their starting dilutions for IHC optimization.
    • Antibodies optimized with the core will require researcher selection control tissue, dilutions to begin staining and review the stained slides as the researcher knows the staining they are attempting to capture.
    • Researchers must then select which dilution they prefer or if further dilutions are needed.

Appointments required for sample delivery

Once an online request form is submitted, researchers are required to schedule an appointment with our HSR staff to deliver samples (fresh, frozen or fixed) to our laboratory located in the Robertson Life Sciences Building on the 6th floor North. 

Do not wait for the core to agree to the online request. Immediately contact the HSR team at hsr@ohsu.edu to coordinate sample drop-off once the online request is submitted. 

  • Appointment scheduling for incoming and outgoing specimens
    • HSR staff must confirm appointments for incoming and outgoing samples as direct access to our lab space and our staff will be restricted.
    • Researchers are required to submit their specimens in a secondary container such as a Ziploc bag or a box. This container must have their name and HSR Service ID (generated when submitting a request in iLab) for our staff to collect.
    • For sample capable of staying at room-temperature (paraffin blocks, samples in 70% ethanol, paraffin slides only:
      • Researchers with no badge access to RLSB laboratories: HSR has set-up a sample drop off/pick-up box on RLSB 6th floor North next to the Research Laboratories door. Researchers can drop off the samples at the confirmed appointment scheduled by leaving the samples in the box
      • Researchers with badge access to RLSB laboratories: HSR has set-up a sample drop off/pick-up box on our lab bench in RLSB 6N096 B1. Please come in the laboratories area at the confirmed appointment scheduled by leaving the samples in the box.
      • Temperature sensitive items such as frozen OCT samples or antibodies are not allowed in these boxes. These items must be handed off to HSR staff directly for HSR to place them in the appropriate storage conditions.

  • All researchers using any University Shared Resource (USR) must be registered in Agilent Crosslab/ iLab Solutions
    • Crosslab / iLab is online software billing system. This system allows researchers to place requests, track and manage submissions to the shared resource cores at OHSU.
    • Once registration and/or account activation is completed, please log in and begin filling out a HSR request form with as much information as possible.
  • Once the request form is filled out and submitted, immediately contact HSR via email to set up an appointment to delivery the samples to the core location.
    • Do not wait for the core to agree to the request form submitted.
    • The core will agree to the request once staff has reviewed the samples in person.
  • If an estimate is needed, please request it before submitting the samples. 
    • The core does not provide an estimated quote by default.

Please contact the core directly if an estimated quote is required.​​​​​​​ For more information on using Agilent Crosslab/iLab Solutions, please visit Cores and Shared Resource iLab Solutions.

Ready to submit a request?

For information on how to use Agilent Crosslab / iLab, visit https://www.ohsu.edu/research-cores/ilab-solutions.

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Shared Resource Acknowledgement

Please remember to acknowledge use of the Histopathology Shared Resource in talks, posters, and publications which include data generated in the core lab.  The use of data generated in an OHSU core facility in a grant application, progress report or publication contains the implicit understanding that the PI or authors will acknowledge the use of the OHSU core facility.