The BCBC offer the following reagent collections:

» Antibody Collection

The Antibody Collection is available not only to BCBC investigators, but to the international research community at large, at various levels of access. The BCBC will produce and maintain a list of available antibodies, and will rate the usefulness of the antibodies requested within the Consortium. Antibodies produced by the BCBC Antibody Core as well as commercial antibodies are listed. Custom requests can be made to the BCBC Antibody Core. Lastly, all website visitors can maintain their own private collection composed at their discretion.

Modeled after other existing antibody databases, such as Abcam, the BCBC database has incorporated features like:

• detailed use/descriptions for each application type
• ability to upload additional files and/or images related to the antibody
• detailed source information
• online request form
• ability to download MTA information
• ability to browse catalog of antibodies alphabetically and categorically
• users can rate/review the antibodies

» ESC Collection

The BCBC Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) Line Information Resource is an information management system that features the collection and dessimination of information on mESC Lines that are useful for beta cell and/or pancreatic development research. The goal of this information resource is to promote sharing these cells in an effort to facilitate collaborations by sharing reagents such as these. All website visitors can maintain their own private collection composed at their discretion.

» Microarray Collection

Currently, microarray services are provided by the Functional Genomics Core, located at the University of Pennsylvania. Three microarrays enriched for genes expressed in the endocrine pancreas, which allow for detection of gene expression in samples as small as 100 nanograms of total RNA, or the equivalent of five to ten islets. Currently available microarrays are:

• Mouse PancChip 6 - 13,000 mouse cDNAs
• Human PancChip 1 - 12,000 human cDNAs
• Mouse PromoterChip BCBC-5A - 18,000 proximal and distal promoter regions
• Mouse PromoterChip BCBC-5B - 18,000 elements, most of which represent potential regulatory regions such as enhancers, microRAN regions and highly conserved genomic regions (use in conjunction with Mouse PromoterChip BCBC-5A)

Microarrays are provided free-of-charge to BCBC members, with the exception of the Mouse PromoterChip BCBC 1.0, under the condition that all data will be deposited into the MIAME-compliant RAD database.

» Mouse Collection

The BCBC Mouse Collection is an information management system that allows for the collection and dessimination of information on modified mouse strains that are useful for beta cell and/or pancreatic development research. All website visitors can maintain their own private collection composed at their discretion.