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Marsico Lung Institute In Collaboration with the Department of Genetics

Rigor and Reproducibility

You may use the text below as a template for wording in your grants and publications to address Rigor and Reproducibility for your experiments run by the Pulmonary Inhalation Research Core:

Eight steps to Rigorous and Reproducible Experiments in Biomolecular Research at UNC:

  • If using a core facility, consult with the core staff in the planning stage. Consult with a statistician if you need help developing a Power Analysis to assure that your results will be adequately powered.
  • Design your experiment with sufficient controls (rigor) and replicates (reproducibility).
  • Assure that ALL of your reagents (antibodies, cell lines, mice) are fully validated (see below).
  • Have a clear and detailed protocol (SOP) and data analysis plan. Assure that the protocol is strictly followed or that any deviation is well documented.
  • Assure that the staff or students performing the experiment are well trained and understand each step and the importance of performing them precisely (rigor again).
  • Use only well-maintained instrumentation, preferably maintained and operated in a core facility with expert staff (see #1 above).
  • Document all steps, reagents, equipment and data analysis methods used in the experiment. Assure that both the documentation and the data itself are properly stored in a safe data management repository.
  • Acknowledge the grants that support the core, the core (by name), and core staff in publications.

 

How the PIRC will contribute to the rigor and reproducibility of your research:

  • Consult with our core directors in the planning stage by emailing Ale: alessandra_livraghi@med.unc.edu and/or Greg: gregory.j.smith@unc.edu
  • We will use our extensive knowledge of respiratory disease and physiology to help you design your experiments with sufficient rigor, reproducibility, and efficiency.
  • Mouse lines are maintained as congenic lines by exclusive breeding with vendor-certified (Taconic or Jackson Lab) mice. This procedure is essential to prevent genetic drift and has been recently validated for our lab as part of an institution-wide effort to perform genetic quality control of existing mouse strains (led by Dr. Fernando P.M. de Villena from the UNC Genetics Department). Genotyping is confirmed by careful monitoring of breeding outcomes and phenotypes’ consistency. Tail tissue is saved from all experimental groups for re-genotyping, if needed.
  • Our core maintains up-to-date Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all services offered. If your research requires the development or modification of experimental techniques, we will work with you to produce clear and validated protocols.
  • All PIRC staff are extensively trained in the services we offer and are required to consistently meet certain benchmarks before they are allowed to perform these services for clients. They have completed all required IACUC and DCM training for the techniques we offer and are provided with continuing training and education opportunities.
  • The PIRC is committed to providing our clients with clear and complete documentation of all aspects of the work we perform. This includes all measured data, health reports, raw and analyzed microscopy images, analysis metrics, SOPs, and more.