Life Science Laboratories Research Articles

Type G antibody investigation for the Kundi Toxoplasmic Parasite among the students of the faculty of basic education at the University of Mustansiriyah

Toxoplasmosis is a transmissible disease that is common to humans and animals and is caused by the parasite Toxoplsma gondii from under the kingdom of protozoa, a forced intracellular parasite that intrudes on all types of nucleated cells. The current study aimed to investigate the infection rates of the Kondoni toxoplasmosis among students of the Faculty of Basic Education, Al-Mustansiriyah University, as it included the collection of 223 blood samples for the period from 1/9/2019 to 31/1/2020 and at ages ranging from 18to 24years. All information was taken when collecting samples according to the form prepared for this purpose, which included sex, age, residence, presence of cats at home, and smoking. The blood was separated for all the samples under study after being placed in sterile tubes inside the centrifuge and at a speed of 3000 cycles for 5 minutes. The serum was then withdrawn and distributed on the Ependorf tubes size of 1 ml with a volume of 250 micro liters per tube, and kept at a temperature of -20 in the Life Sciences Laboratory of the Department of the Faculty of Basic Education, Al-Mustansiriya University, until use.

The boom in life science development and its impacts on community noise

There is a boom in life science research and laboratory development in many areas of the country. And the speed of that development has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic. A life science facility may look like a traditional office building, but the sound emitted from the rooftop mechanical equipment associated with spaces occupied by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is distinct. A sound study was prepared for permitting the reconstruction of a major mixed-use redevelopment in an urbanized area of greater Boston. The redevelopment included retail, office, laboratory, residential and hotel uses amongst multiple buildings that would occur over several years. The complexity of the project required the collaboration of the developer, architectural and mechanical design teams, and acoustical consultants, to ensure that the cumulative sound impacts from all the buildings' future rooftop mechanical equipment did not exceed the local noise ordinance once the redevelopment was completed. The sound study also allowed the buildings to later be customized for future life science tenants. This paper will present the framework developed for each design team to allow the project to demonstrate compliance by establishing a noise budget.

Bringing three-dimensional learning to undergraduate physics: Insight from an introductory physics laboratory course

Three-dimensional learning (3DL) is an approach to science instruction that was developed for K-12 science education and that can provide guidance for improving undergraduate physics laboratories. In this paper, we describe efforts to comprehensively integrate 3DL into a sequence of undergraduate introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) laboratory courses. This paper is tailored for introductory physics faculty interested in advancing their course's learning goals by simultaneously engaging students in experimental practices, scientific reasoning, and conceptual knowledge. We first review how several well-known laboratory curricula are already implicitly aligned with 3DL. We then describe our IPLS course sequence and show how each 3DL dimension—science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts—is integrated throughout the curriculum. To support implementation, we provide samples of our course documentation, a detailed account of our 3DL integration efforts, a guide to training and supporting teaching and learning assistants in a 3DL course, and a sample set of activities to guide students in participating in 3DL instruction in the supplementary material.

Rapid deployment of inexpensive open-source orbital shakers in support of high-throughput screening

Open-source projects continue to grow in popularity alongside open-source educational resources, software, and hardware tools. The impact of this increased availability of open-source technologies is that end users are empowered to have greater control over the tools that they work with. This trend extends in the life science laboratory space, where new open-source projects are routinely being published that allow users to build and modify scientific equipment specifically tailored to their needs, often at a reduced cost from equivalent commercial offerings. Recently, we identified a need for a compact orbital shaker that would be usable in temperature and humidity-controlled incubators to support the development and execution of a high-throughput suspension cell-based assay. Based on the requirements provided by staff biologists, an open-source project known as the DIYbio orbital shaker was identified on Thingiverse, then quickly prototyped and tested. The initial orbital shaker prototype based on the DIYbio design underwent an iterative prototyping and design process that proved to be straightforward due to the open-source nature of the project. The result of these efforts has been the successful initial deployment of ten shakers as of August 2021. This afforded us the scalability and efficacy needed to complete a large-scale screening campaign in less time and at less cost than if we purchased larger, less adaptable orbital shakers. Lessons learned from prototyping, modifying, validating, deploying and maintaining laboratory devices based on an open-source design in support of a full-scale drug discovery high-throughput screening effort are described within this manuscript.

Genomic analysis of clear cell carcinoma.

5548 Background: Clear cell carcinomas (CCC) are rare histologies outside of the kidney and are typically less sensitive to standard treatments. Genomic alterations in chromatin remodeling pathways involving ARID1A or the intracellular PI3K-mTOR signaling pathway are found in both renal and ovarian CCC. It is unclear whether CCCs originating from different anatomic sites share a common genomic landscape. This CARIS Precision Oncology Alliance project sought to determine whether CCC of different organs shared similar genomic signatures and to identify potential pathways that could be targeted in a tumor-agnostic clinical trial. Methods: CCCs (N = 861) from multiple primary tumor sites, including kidney (30.5%), ovary (39%), endometrium (23.9%), other gynecologic sites (e.g., cervix, fallopian tube, 3.3%), and miscellaneous (non-kidney or gynecologic sites, 3.3%) were analyzed at the Caris Life Sciences Laboratory (Phoenix, AZ). Using hierarchical clustering (HC) and principal component analysis (PCA), the samples were compared across 648 total genes from five metabolic gene sets consisting of angiogenesis, glycolysis, hypoxia, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid metabolism. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was further conducted on the samples across fifty hallmark gene sets representing specific biologic processes and expression. Samples were also analyzed for individual genomic alterations and immune-oncology associated biomarkers. PD-L1 (SP142) expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (positive threshold: 2+ stain intensity and ≥ 5% tumor cells). Results: HC and PCA demonstrated that renal CCC formed distinct clusters compared to non-renal CCC. Tumors from gynecologic sites could not be separated into distinct clusters. GSEA showed that the hypoxia gene set was significantly upregulated in the renal but not in non-renal CCCs. Mutations involving TP53, ARID1A, PIK3CA were found to be the most altered genes in endometrial (62%, 26%, 31%), ovarian (13%, 55%, 48%), other gynecological sites (33%, 38%, 44%), and non-gynecologic CCC (13%, 17%, 12%) respectively. PD-L1 expression, high tumor mutational burden (≥10 mutations/Mb), and deficient mismatch repair/microsatellite instability rates across sites were: kidney (11%, 2%, 2%), endometrium (13%, 12%, 7%), ovary (9%, 4%, 3%), other gynecological sites (31%, 11%, 11%), and miscellaneous sites (11%, 19%, 4%). Conclusions: Initial metabolic gene expression clustering analysis shows that CCCs do not separate by organ of origin beyond renal versus extra-renal. TP53, ARID1A, and PIK3CA were the most frequently altered genes in non-renal CCC. Out of fifty hallmark gene sets, only two were statistically significantly different among gynecological CCCs. This similarity between gynecological CCC can be leveraged by targeting pathways such as PI3K-AKT-mTOR, DNA repair, and MYC targets in a site agnostic manner. Furthermore, high PD-L1 expression is found in other gynecological sites.

Age as a factor in the molecular landscape and the tumor-microenvironmental signature of osteosarcoma.

11525 Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) incidence is characterized by a bimodal age distribution, with peaks in early adolescence and in adults > 65 years of age. In contrast to adolescents, OS in adults is frequently considered as a secondary neoplasm (i.e., transformation of Paget´s disease of the bone, radiation induced). Yet, the literature is scarce regarding the impact of age on the molecular landscape of OS. Herein, we sought to explore the association between age and the genomic profile as well as the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in a large cohort of OS patients. Methods: 208 specimens were centrally analysed at the Caris Life Sciences laboratory with DNA seq (NextSeq, 592 gene panel or NovaSeq, whole-exome sequencing), RNA seq (Archer fusion panel or whole-transcriptome sequencing) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). RNA deconvolution and differential expression analyses were performed using the Microenvironment Cell Populations counter method for quantification of immune cell populations and gene expression profiling. The cohort was stratified into three distinct age groups (< 25 years [n = 83], 25-45 years [n = 58], > 45 years [67]). Results: Overall, the most frequently detected mutations were in TP53 (37%), RB1 (13%), ATRX (9%), TERT (6%), PTEN (5%), PIK3CA (4%) and KMT2D (3%). Copy number alterations were most frequently detected in CDK4 (12%), LRIG3 (11%), FLCN (11%), MDM2 (9%), CCND3 (9%), VEGFA (8%), TFEB (8%). Interestingly, age-based stratification revealed an increased frequency of FLCN (19.7 vs 4.7%, p < 0.01), CCND3 (13.9 vs 3.1%, p < 0.05), and HSP90AB1 (11.3 vs 0.0%, p < 0.01), alterations in patients < 25 years compared to > 45 years. TME analysis revealed that patients > 45 years have decreased B-cell abundance compared to patients < 25 years (2.9-fold decrease, p < 0.05) and 25-45 years (4.8-fold decrease, p < 0.05). Although not statistically significant, median transcriptional expression of PD-L1 was numerically increased in patients > 45 years (1.8-fold compared to 25-45 years, p = 0.17; 2.0-fold compared to < 25 years, p = 0.27), which was consistent with increasing rates of IHC PD-L1 expression with age (5.3%, 9.4%, and 17.5%, respectively, p = 0.06). Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the largest cohort of molecularly characterized OS. Age-associated differences in the genetic landscape and TME composition, including increased gene amplifications observed in younger patients and decreased B-cell abundance in older patients, might suggest fundamental underlying molecular and biological differences.

Innovative Sensor Technology for Emergency Detection in Life Science Laboratories.

Chemical, analytical and biological laboratories use a variety of different solvents and gases. Many of these compounds are harmful or even toxic to laboratory personnel. Permanent monitoring of the air quality is therefore of great importance regarding the greatest possible occupational safety and the detection of dangerous situations in the work process. An increasing need exists for the development and application of small and portable sensor solutions that enable personal monitoring and that can be flexibly adapted to different environments and situations. Different sensor principles are available for the detection of gases and solvent vapors, which differ in terms of their selectivity and sensitivity. Besides simple sensing elements, integrated sensors and smart sensors are increasingly available, which, depending on their scope of functions, require a distinct effort in integration. This chapter gives an overview of available sensors and their integration options, and describes ready-to-use sensor systems for personal monitoring in life science laboratories.

Characterization of an engineered mucus microenvironment for in vitro modeling of host\u2013microbe interactions

The human mucus layer plays a vital role in maintaining health by providing a physical barrier to pathogens. This biological hydrogel also provides the microenvironment for commensal bacteria. Common models used to study host–microbe interactions include gnotobiotic animals or mammalian–microbial co-culture platforms. Many of the current in vitro models lack a sufficient mucus layer to host these interactions. In this study, we engineered a mucus-like hydrogel Consisting of a mixed alginate-mucin (ALG-MUC) hydrogel network by using low concentration calcium chloride (CaCl2) as crosslinker. We demonstrated that the incorporation of ALG-MUC hydrogels into an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) co-culture platform can support the growth of a mammalian monolayer and pathogenic bacteria. The ALG-MUC hydrogels displayed selective diffusivity against macromolecules and stability with ATPS microbial patterning. Additionally, we showed that the presence of mucin within hydrogels contributed to an increase in antimicrobial resistance in ATPS patterned microbial colonies. By using common laboratory chemicals to generate a mammalian–microbial co-culture system containing a representative mucus microenvironment, this model can be readily adopted by typical life science laboratories to study host–microbe interaction and drug discovery.

An Immersible Microgripper for Pancreatic Islet and Organoid Research.

To improve the predictive value of in vitro experimentation, the use of 3D cell culture models, or organoids, is becoming increasingly popular. However, the current equipment of life science laboratories has been developed to deal with cell monolayers or cell suspensions. To handle 3D cell aggregates and organoids in a well-controlled manner, without causing structural damage or disturbing the function of interest, new instrumentation is needed. In particular, the precise and stable positioning in a cell bath with flow rates sufficient to characterize the kinetic responses to physiological or pharmacological stimuli can be a demanding task. Here, we present data that demonstrate that microgrippers are well suited to this task. The current version is able to work in aqueous solutions and was shown to position isolated pancreatic islets and 3D aggregates of insulin-secreting MIN6-cells. A stable hold required a gripping force of less than 30 μN and did not affect the cellular integrity. It was maintained even with high flow rates of the bath perfusion, and it was precise enough to permit the simultaneous microfluorimetric measurements and membrane potential measurements of the single cells within the islet through the use of patch-clamp electrodes.

Pipette Show: An Open Source Web Application to Support Pipetting into Microplates.

Despite increasing automation, manual pipetting remains a daily important task in life science laboratories. However, the creation of an efficient work plan is often time-consuming, and its completion is error-prone. Here, we present Pipette Show, a free Vue.js based application that optimizes the generation of an efficient work plan for pipetting into microplates and supports its reliable execution by visual guidance. The basis forms a graphical web interface with a module for building workflows as well as a module displaying the information for each pipetting step by illuminating wells of microplates placed on a tablet.

Human-Device Interaction in the Life Science Laboratory.

The interaction of the human user with equipment and software is a central aspect of the work in the life science laboratory. The enhancement of the usability and intuition of software and hardware products, as well as holistic interaction solutions are a demand from all stakeholders in the scientific laboratory who desire more efficient workflows. Shorter training periods, parallelization of workflows, improved data integrity, and enhanced safety are only a few advantages innovative intuitive human-device-interfaces can bring. With recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), the availability of smart devices, as well as unified communication protocols, holistic interaction solutions are on the rise. Future interaction in the laboratory will not be limited to pushing mechanical buttons on equipment. Instead, the interplay between voice, gestures, and innovative hard- and software components will drive interactions in the laboratory into a more streamlined future.

Development of Human Gut Organoids With Resident Tissue Macrophages as a Model of Intestinal Immune Responses.

Development of Human Gut Organoids With Resident Tissue Macrophages as a Model of Intestinal Immune Responses.

Flexible IoT Gas Sensor Node for Automated Life Science Environments Using Stationary and Mobile Robots

In recent years the degree of automation in life science laboratories increased considerably by introducing stationary and mobile robots. This trend requires intensified considerations of the occupational safety for cooperating humans, since the robots operate with low volatile compounds that partially emit hazardous vapors, which especially do arise if accidents or leakages occur. For the fast detection of such or similar situations a modular IoT-sensor node was developed. The sensor node consists of four hardware layers, which can be configured individually regarding basic functionality and measured parameters for varying application focuses. In this paper the sensor node is equipped with two gas sensors (BME688, SGP30) for a continuous TVOC measurement. In investigations under controlled laboratory conditions the general sensors’ behavior regarding different VOCs and varying installation conditions are performed. In practical investigations the sensor node’s integration into simple laboratory applications using stationary and mobile robots is shown and examined. The investigation results show that the selected sensors are suitable for the early detection of solvent vapors in life science laboratories. The sensor response and thus the system’s applicability depends on the used compounds, the distance between sensor node and vapor source as well as the speed of the automation systems.

ATLaS: Assistant Software for Life Scientists to Use in Calculations of Buffer Solutions

Many solutions such as percentage, molar and buffer solutions are used in all experiments conducted in life science laboratories. Although the preparation of the solutions is not difficult, miscalculations that can be made during intensive laboratory work negatively affect the experimental results. In order for the experiments to work correctly, the solutions must be prepared completely correctly. In this project, a software, ATLaS (Assistant Toolkit for Laboratory Solutions), has been developed to eliminate solution errors arising from calculations. Python programming language was used in the development of ATLaS. Tkinter and Pandas libraries were used in the program. ATLaS contains five main modules (1) Percent Solutions, (2) Molar Solutions, (3) Acid-Base Solutions, (4) Buffer Solutions and (5) Unit Converter. Main modules have sub-functions within themselves. With PyInstaller, the software was converted into a stand-alone executable file. The source code of ATLaS is available at https://github.com/cugur1978/ATLaS.

Association of the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in uterine carcinosarcoma with improved survival and increased immunogenicity.

5588 Background: Recent data has shed light on molecular profiles of uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS), but few have correlated molecular profiles with prognosis. In a preliminary data analysis, we found that hormone receptors (HR)—estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)—expression was associated with improved OS. Here, we investigate the molecular profile differences between ER+/- and PR +/- tumors. Methods: Tumor samples were analyzed using Next-Generation sequencing of DNA (NextSeq, 592 genes or NovaSeq, whole exome sequencing) and RNA (NovaSeq, whole transcriptome sequencing) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) at the Caris Life Sciences Laboratory (Phoenix, AZ).ER and PR tested by IHC on whole tumor (cut-off: +1, 10%). PD-L1 IHC used SP-142 (cut-off >1%). MSI was tested by FA, IHC an NGS. TMB was measured by totaling somatic mutations per tumor (high > 10 mutations per MB). Immune cell fraction was calculated by QuantiSeq. Overall survival (OS) information was obtained from insurance claims data and Kaplan-Meier estimates were calculated for molecularly defined cohorts. Statistical significance was determined by chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum test and p-values adjusted for multiple comparisons (q) to be <0.05. Results: 1,144 UCS tumors were included. (ER+, n=261; PR+, n=197; HR+ (ER+ and PR+), n=168). Median OS for patients with hormone receptor (HR)+ tumors was significantly longer than for patients with HR- tumors (months: 34.8 vs 17.4; HR(95% CI): 0.67 (0.53-0.84), p<0.01). This remained significant for ER (29.4 vs 17.3) and PR (25.3 vs 18.7) individually. ER+ tumors had fewer alterations in the TP53 pathway (71.4% vs 82.1%) in the WNT (19.5% vs 5.8%) pathway than ER- tumors (q<0.05). PR+ tumors had similar findings in the TP53 and WNT pathways, and also more alterations in the DNA damage sensor pathway. Both ER+ and PR+ UCS tumors had significantly increased MSI-H (ER: 10.9% vs 5.5%, PR: 12.9% vs 5.5%) and TMB-H (ER: 16.8% vs 6.0%; PR: 19.5% vs 6.1%) (all q<0.05) compared to ER- and PR- tumors. They also had increased T-reg cells in their immune micro-environment and increased expression of the immune checkpoint gene IDO1 (q<0.05; Table). Conclusions: HR+ tumors have distinct molecular profiles from HR- tumors. ER+ and PR+ UCS tumors appear more immunogenic with more frequent MSI-H status, TMB-H, increased infiltrating regulatory T-cells and IDO1 expression, suggesting possible benefit with immune-oncology (IO) therapy. This may contribute to the observed improved OS, but more data are needed to determine if HR status is a marker of response to IO therapy.[Table: see text]

Deciphering the molecular landscape and the tumor microenvironment of perivascular epitheloid cell neoplasma (PEComa).

11539 Background: PEComa is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm composed of perivascular epithelioid cells. Due to its rarity, diagnosis is challenging and no standardized treatment guidelines have been established. A subgroup of PEComas are characterized by a loss of function mutation in TSC1/2 that activates the PIK3-Akt-mTOR pathway. In the majority of patients, however, the molecular landscape and the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain largely unclear. Thus, we conducted this study to elucidate the genetic landscape of PEComas. A comparative analysis was performed with melanoma as a representative immunogenic tumor type. Methods: Thirty-five PEComa specimens were centrally analysed at the Caris Life Sciences laboratory. NextGen DNA sequencing (NextSeq, 592 gene panel or NovaSeq, whole-exome-sequencing), whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing (NovaSeq) and immunohistochemistry (Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ) were performed. Gene expression profiling (GEP) was performed by unsupervised hierarchical clustering. RNA deconvolution analysis was performed using the Microenvironment Cell Populations (MCP)-counter method to quantify immune cell populations (Becht 2016, Genome Biology). Results: The most common mutations detected in this cohort were TP53 (47%), ATRX (32%), TSC1/2 (11%/29%) and MSH3 (17%). Interestingly, TP53 mutations occurred less frequently (25 vs 60%, p = 0.055) in TSC1/2-mutated ( TSC1/2-mt) compared to TSC1/2-wildtype ( TSC1/2-wt) tumors, whereas MSH3 (25%, n = 1/4) and ERCC2 (14%, n = 2/14) mutations were exclusively observed in TSC1/2-mt cases. TSC1/2 mutations and other mTOR signalling pathway alterations, including two TFE gene fusion transcripts, were mutually exclusive. Of note, we found that 33.3% (n = 2) of TSC2-mt tumors were associated with high PIK3-Akt-mTOR pathway expression, while 100% (n = 3) of TSC1-mt tumors demonstrated lower expression. Deficient mismatch repair/microsatellite instability-high and high tumor mutational burden were rare (2.9%, n = 1 each) and observed concurrently in absence of PD-L1 expression. Overall, PD-L1 expression was observed in 21.9% (n = 7) of patients. An exploratory comparison with melanoma revealed that PEComa TMEs were characterized by a significant increase of NK cells and fibroblasts, as well as a relevant decrease of CD8+ T cells and B cells. Conclusions: Within this study we discovered a heterogeneous molecular landscape with a high prevalence of TSC1/2 mutations that were in part associated with transcriptional up-regulation of the PIK3-Akt-mTOR pathway. Furthermore, the relatively immune-cold TME compared to melanoma suggests increased lymphocyte infiltration may be required to increase the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for PEComa.

First person – Kun Guo

ABSTRACTFirst Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Kun Guo is first author on ‘The thermal dependence and molecular basis of physiological color change in Takydromus septentrionalis (Lacertidae)’, published in BiO. Kun conducted the research described in this article while a PhD student in Xiang Ji's lab at Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu, China. They are now research assistant in the lab of Xiang Ji at College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Zhejiang, China, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Aquarium: open-source laboratory software for design, execution and data management.

Automation has been shown to improve the replicability and scalability of biomedical and bioindustrial research. Although the work performed in many labs is repetitive and can be standardized, few academic labs can afford the time and money required to automate their workflows with robotics. We propose that human-in-the-loop automation can fill this critical gap. To this end, we present Aquarium, an open-source, web-based software application that integrates experimental design, inventory management, protocol execution and data capture. We provide a high-level view of how researchers can install Aquarium and use it in their own labs. We discuss the impacts of the Aquarium on working practices, use in biofoundries and opportunities it affords for collaboration and education in life science laboratory research and manufacture.

Automation for Life Science Laboratories.

The automation of processes in all areas of the life sciences will continue to increase in the coming years due to an ever increasing number of samples to be processed, an increasing need to protect laboratory personnel from infectious material and increasing cost pressure. Depending on the requirements of the respective application, different concepts for automation systems are available, which have a different degree of automation with regard to data handling, transportation tasks, and the processing of the samples. Robots form a central component of these automation concepts. Classic stationary robots from the industrial sector will increasingly be replaced by new developments in the field of light-weight robots. In addition, mobile robots will also be of particular importance in the automation of life science laboratories in the future, especially for transportation tasks between different manual and (partially) automated stations. With an increasing number of different, highly diverse processes, the need for special devices and system components will also increase. This applies to both, the handling of the labware and the processing of the samples. In contrast to previous automation strategies with a highly parallel approach, future developments will increasingly be characterized by individual sample handling.

Sequencing BGI: the evolution of expertise and research organisation in the world’s leading gene sequencing facility

The increasing importance of computational techniques in post-genomic life science research calls for new forms and combinations of expertise that cut across established disciplinary boundaries between computing and biology. These are most marked in large scale gene sequencing facilities. Here new ways of organising knowledge production, drawing on industrial models, have been perceived as pursuing efficiency and control to the potential detriment of academic autonomy and scientific quality. We explore how these issues are played out in the case of BGI (Beijing Genomics Institute prior to 2008). BGI (in Pinyin, Hua Da Jiyin– Big China Genome) is today the world’s largest centre for gene sequencing research. Semi-detached from traditional academic institutions, BGI has developed distinctive models for organising research and for developing expertise, informed by practices in US Information Technology and Life Science Laboratories, that differ from existing models of interdisciplinary research in academic institutions.